The Betrayed One
by Tech108
Summary: Betrayal has made it's home in his life from the day he was born. Many times has he trusted people with his life, just as many times they were the one to attempt to take it. Perseus "Percy" Jackson's life was never easy; he played in the shadows to hide from the gods, he was ruthless to those he learned betrayed him, and was constantly wary of others, always fighting for his life.
1. Chapter 1

**Run**

That's all Sally could do.

She was prepared to have to find a way to hide her son's scent. But she wasn't prepared to do that so early, he was still a newborn, not even a day old. She should've had years to prepare, at least until he was six. That was what she thought, but when she saw her baby and his sea-green eyes, she knew it would be earlier. She knew something inside her was telling her to be wary but she didn't listen to it, as she wanted to enjoy her child.

But the moment she stepped out of the hospital she saw it. A cyclops. Her lover said it was because she was "clear-sighted", that she could see through the veil his family put up. But the monster originated from his realm, she assumed that he was a protector.

Until she heard it, the growl. Her eyes widened and she quickly understood this cyclops was untamed, probably a cast-off. She whistled a cab, even in the dead of night New York was very much alive. She told the driver to drive to the northwestern part of the city.

When they arrived at the destination, Sally realized she had no money on her person's. The driver who had seen this many times sighed and stepped out the car. The moment he did he was grabbed by the cyclops, it happened to follow them all the way to the Bronx.

While it was busy, unfortunately with the cab driver, Sally placed her baby in the passenger seat and she hopped behind the wheel and drove off. Surprisingly, her baby boy was fast asleep during all of this.

She got all the way into Westchester before the gas ran out. She looked into her rearview mirror and still saw the same monster, it wouldn't stop its pursuit. She scooped the bundle and ran into the nearby forest.

As she ran she could feel the cyclops gaining on her. While trying to escape she came upon a devastating conclusion, they wouldn't make it.

This caused her to pause as the realization hit her like a truck. She would die and her supposed lover was nowhere to be found. This was how her last seconds of her life were to be.

No one would miss her, she had no other family. Her parents had died when she was 5 years old. She was sent to live with her uncle, who died from cancer during her last year of high school. She dropped out and worked small jobs in order to take care of herself. She and her son's father met one summer and fell in love. Sadly he had to go away, apparently even if she's in danger.

She was brought out of her thoughts when she heard the roar from the monster and felt her back being sliced. Adrenaline rushed through her body as she sprinted as fast as she could through the forest, clutching her son tightly to her chest.

She kept running until she saw a large body of water. Her eyes widened and she turned to look for a sign. She saw it and ran up to it. It read **NEW CROTON RESERVOIR** and Sally began to have hope.

"Poseidon! Please help us!" She yelled.

She waited for what seemed like an eternity but no one came. Another roar was heard and she turned around to see the cyclops cornering her. She had nowhere else to run, this was her final attempt for safety. She closed her eyes preparing to wake up in the underworld but nothing came.

When she opened them she saw the monster turned to the forest again. She tried to run while she had the chance but froze when she heard the cyclops wail. She looked at it's lower leg and saw a silver arrow sprouting out of it. Not even a moment was spared as another arrow was lodged into forehead, effectively turning it into yellow dust.

Sally left out a sigh of relief now that the monster was gone, but she immediately felt sick. Then she remembered the cyclops got to her back before it was killed. She fell down on her knees hard and began to breathe heavily, she had no more energy to go on.

She was determined to stay alive though, she had to for her newborn son. Sally knew that if she died now there was no way her son will survive. But her survival was getting harder and harder by the second as her vision was getting blurry.

When she tried to still herself and focus her vision she felt a godly aura. She looked up expecting to see her lover but her hopes were dashed. Instead of sea-green eyes she saw silver eyes. Along with auburn hair and a silver uniform.

"Lady Artemis." Sally managed. "Please could you help me."

The twelve year old girl walked forward, seeming to age with every step she took until stopping at 20. She knelt next to dying mother and looked at her wound. It was a fatal one, no way for her to be saved. But Artemis wouldn't let her see it on her face.

"I'm sorry," she started "but your wound, there isn't any way to-"

She was cut short as Sally thrusted the bundle out of her arms into the goddess's. It pained her externally and internally to do so. And though it was a long shot, this was the only way for her son to survive.

"Could you help me...by taking care of my baby." Sally whispered.

Artemis didn't see the child at first and was startled when Sally gave it to her. She was immediately determined to fulfill this dying woman's wish. She would accept this infant girl into the hunt. But when she moved the cloth she found a male baby. She looked back at the woman who was staring wistfully.

"I know he is a male, the species that you hate. But if you can raise him he could be a better male, one that fits your criteria." Sally momentarily forgot her wound and gave a bitter laugh and then winced. "If you truly decide to raise him, I think you'll be the best mother for him."

The goddess looked at her in shock. She never thought about being a mother, she had her hunters and she was more than content with that. She turned to the boy and realized she could possibly raise the perfect male. It then registered in Artemis that this must be killing the woman inside, to give up her first and only child.

"What is your name?"

"My name is Sally Jackson. My son's name is Perseus Jackson."

Artemis nodded and knelt beside Sally once more and placed her hand on her forehead.

"I, Artemis goddess of the Hunt, condemn this spirit of Sally Jackson to Elysium when she moves on from the mortal world."

When she removed her fingers, Sally's forehead glowed a golden color, signaling that the words of Artemis were received. When the glow receded there was a silver bow left on her forehead, almost like a stamp.

Sally smiled weakly. "Can I…hold him…one last time?"

"Of course."

Artemis handed her the baby as Sally held him while leaning her injured back on a nearby tree. Perseus was still sleep even after everything that has happened. Sally made the decision to not wake him, to have him see Artemis' face only and recognize her as her mother. She began to play with his fingers with a small smile on her face.

"You know you're a heavy sleeper." She whispered. "I'm grateful though, I don't want you to see me in this state. When I was pregnant with you I hoped for you to be someone great, even better than your father. That's...why I named...you Perseus. Now I know you'll be someone great with your new…mother. But also I know you'll never be like your father. You won't leave those you care about to die, but rather take their place in death. But I hope you live a great long life. I just want you to…know that…I always will lo-"

Sally started coughing sporadically, not able to continue her farewell. This lasted for a few seconds until she stopped and closed her eyes. A single tear ran down her cheek as she took her last breath and went limp. The baby started to slip out of her arms but Artemis caught him.

She had tears streaming down her face as well. During Sally's farewell she looked into the woman's memories and saw her hardships. She also saw how her uncle "loved" Sally as well. The life of Sally was one that she didn't deserve. She was another maiden who was taken advantage of by a god.

Artemis snapped her fingers and Sally was wrapped with a silver cloth with her symbol on the top. She wouldn't place Poseidon's on her for obvious reasons, he has just been added to her long list of males she hated.

She did however send the body through the reservoir giving her a burial at sea. She placed a drachma on her body and pushed her into the water. She prayed that the judges would recognize her blessing and send Sally to Elysium.

She turned around with slightly puffy eyes and began to walk back to her camps, where she and her hunters are staying in. While walking the bundle she carried began to stir. A couple seconds later, he began to cry. This is a first for Artemis but she thought that Perseus was crying louder than a normal baby.

She decided to try something, "Hush little one, everything will be alright." That quieted the baby down and made him open his eyes. She gasped, as she saw the most beautiful sea-green eyes. When their eyes met he smiled and snuggled into her grasp, making the goddess's heart flutter.

She knew immediately why the monster came after him so early, he was a very powerful demigod even if so young. The aura he gave from crying alone proved that. Yet Artemis couldn't keep the smile off her face as she realized she would finally have a child, even if it is a male. She figured she would replace his godly blood from Poseidon with hers, that will be payback for what the sea god allowed to happen.

When she finally arrived her Lieutenant noticed her first and swiftly ran up to her. When she noticed the baby, and somehow it's gender. She gasped and took a step back.

"M- Milady? Is that that a baby?"

She was going to continue stuttering out questions but Artemis held up her hand stop them. "Zoe, can you gather the hunters around the campfire, I have something important to say."

Zoe nodded and sprinted off to find every last hunter, eager to learn what's going on.

In a few minutes all the hunters we're seated at the campfire. Some were talking quietly amongst themselves, but were instant silenced when they saw the baby boy their mistress was playing with. Few were watching intently, making assumptions on this boy.

Finally with a small smile, Artemis looked up and realized the entire Hunt was watching her. She blushed slightly out of embarrassment but regained her composure quickly.

"I would like to tell you of what has just happened not too far from our camp. I was patrolling outside to make sure there wouldn't be any mortals or monsters, though there shouldn't because this is a unique area. Although, when I was near the reservoir I heard a woman cry a man's name for help. I wasn't going to check it out until a heard a monster's roar.

Once I heard that, I knew that whoever the woman was, was calling for help from a god or other male deity. I ran as fast as I could and witnessed a cyclops cornering a young woman. I straightaway fired an arrow into it's back, when it turned around I fired into his leg, and to finish it off I shot him in between the eyes."

The hunters gave a cheer for Artemis, learning that she saved a female from a horrible fate, yet it still left questions unanswered. "Milady, why do you have that baby?"

Artemis gave another small smile, "Once I killed the monster the woman recognized she had a fatal wound and dropped on the ground because of it. I approached her and learned she was a mother. Her child was a demigod, a boy and a very powerful one, and she wanted me to become it's mother."

Eerily the hunters gasped at the same time and stayed silent trying to figure out how they feel about the situation. Phoebe, one of her oldest hunters, spoke up first,

"But, milady, he is a male. Aren't we supposed to hate males."

"Yes, and tonight I hate them more than ever, but he is too young. How can we hate him when he isn't even a day old. He isn't crooked, faithless, or rotten, but we can raise him to be honorable and pure. We can teach him to protect and respect women. Together as a family. Here, I want everyone to hold him."

Artemis passed Perseus on to Zoe first. She studied it like it was a science experiment, but then he snuggled into her arms making the Lieutenant smile.

"What's his name?"

"Perseus. Perseus Jackson."

"I like that name." She turned to the baby, "I'm going to call you Percy for short."

She passed on the baby to the other hunters, each seeming to like the idea of raising the perfect male.

"He seems a little advanced for a baby only a couple hours old. He's already giggling and smiling." Lauren inquired, she was a daughter of Athena so she was always asking questions.

"My guess is that he's a really powerful demigod, or maybe that he's too smart for his own good."

"Who's his godly parent?"

"I am."

"Who was it before?"

All heads snapped to the goddess, growing anxious to learn of the god who abandoned their own son.

"His father," Artemis started, growing angry as she spoke, "is Poseidon, god of the seas."

It still felt wrong to say on her tongue. The goddess of the moon had felt that the sea god was one of the better ones. But not only did he just knock up a young maiden, he also left her to face the dangers by herself. His actions solidified the notion that all men are evil, that is until Percy has grown up.

But there was more to worry about, like what will Lauren do now that she knows she's holding a son of Poseidon. The son of her mother's rival.

But all she did was grin triumphantly, like she just learned the science to invisibility. "Let's see how Poseidon feels when he learns his son was raised by a daughter of Athena."

She passed on the infant to the others, each playing with him a little before giving it to their sister. After a couple more hunters Artemis held Percy once more, who was wide awake and playing with her uniform.

She twirled his little hairs in between her fingers while looking at her hunters with an arched eyebrow, "So we can all agree on keeping him right?"

The ones in question looked at each other until they all nod in unison. Zoe was the one to speak for them, "We will help raise the greatest male to ever walk the Earth."

Artemis smiled and stood up, "That's nice to hear. Now we already ate, so why don't we get to sleep and prepare for the future with little Percy." She turned to her tent and made her way to it.

The hunters listened and quickly shuffled out to their tents to sleep for the night. Some were whispering about what they'll do with Percy while others focused on how cute he was already. Zoe was quiet but had a small smile, looking forward to raising Percy and also the fact her nickname for him already stuck.

Artemis entered her tent, looked around, and realized she needed somewhere to place the baby to sleep in. She made space next to her bed and summoned a wooden crib. The wood seemed to be made of the same material as Artemis' favored bow, and gave an ethereal glow in the dimly lit tent.

She placed the baby, who already fell into deep sleep again, into the crib. She internally sighed, she hoped this wasn't a sign showing he'll be a lazy male growing up.

"Well Perseus, I guess this is a new chapter in our lives. I can only wonder if it will be a positive one."

As a response, Percy turned away from her and slept facing the side of the tent.

She rolled her eyes, receiving the action as a sarcastic comment. If anyone was to look at her face, they would see a stoic expression painted across her face.

But inside she has never been more excited.

* * *

 **A/N: I hope you enjoyed the first chapter of hopefully an awesome book. This isn't my first time writing, but certainly my first at publishing.**

 **I know for a fact I'm not the best, but I do see myself as somewhat skilled. But I would love and encourage constructive criticism so I can write better and give you guys an overall better story.**

 **I would like to have Percy to have a romantic interest in each of my stories. Some I already have a definite match but others, like this one, I'm very skeptical.**

 **Annabeth is a definite no. In my eyes Percabeth is only acceptable if Rick Riordan himself writes it. Any other time it just doesn't make sense. The personalities don't match at all and they don't share the same interests. They grew up together and saved each other's lives countless times so that's going for them. But that's really isn't strong enough to make a fanfiction with Percabeth in it, unless I make one of them out-of-character.**

 **For this story I can only see Percy being with Bianca right now. I'm having Zoe as a motherly or sisterly figure so not her. Maybe I could do something with Reyna. But I would appreciate hearing your ideas.**

 **This story is going to be a little sad at first, but expect epic action scenes. Percy will be different from the books in some ways but his backstory is different from PJO so he can be different. I'm striving hard to not have this like any other Percy-being-raised-by-the-hunt story, so predict as much as you want.**

 **As for who made my cover, it was an awesome duo that goes by the name of Xx_Anaklusmos_xX. They did an amazing job.**

 **Again thanks for even reading. Share to others, like it, add it to your library.**

 **You won't regret it.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Best**

Percy truly was an amazing addition to the Hunt.

It was like there was a barren patch in a garden. No one did anything to fix it because it never took away the beauty of the garden. But then you accidentally find the perfect flowers to fill in the patch and it makes the garden 100 times better.

Percy was the perfect flowers.

There were also a few changes though for Percy, specifically his heritage. His godly blood was switched.

For demigods the only way for a them to hold different powers from other gods are either being blessed or being the child of a one god while also being the descendant of another, like a son of Apollo but also an great-grandson of Hermes. But there is another way, one that wasn't ever used.

Breastfeeding. But not how Hera did with Hercules, she only blessed him with strength. He didn't have his godly blood-switched from Zeus to Hera. If you want it to truly switch you must do it 3 times a day, daily.

Artemis did that with Perseus. She was determined to get rid of the sea god's blood but was a little stuck when she learned there was only way to do it. Nevertheless, during breakfast, lunch and dinner, Artemis took Percy into her tent and breastfed him a week after joining the hunt.

After a month she recognized Percy didn't smell like the sea as much and more like the forest. It took another for the smell to disappear completely. After every feeding she cleaned herself thoroughly as a precaution for any other god sensing it. She continued breastfeeding Percy until he was 8 months when she noticed his smell of the forest was greater than when he smelled like the sea. She stopped doing it fearing that his mortal blood would begin to be replaced. If it goes too far she could very well turn him into a godling.

Granted the Hunt could never tell how Percy smelled, considering they weren't gods. They could only see that he didn't give off Poseidon's aura anymore but instead gave off their mistress. Also after Percy turned 3 months his facial features started to change. His eyes changed from sea-green to silver but up close you can still see specks of the green, making his eyes one of a kind. Also his hair started to change color. It wasn't until he was two though, when the older hunters finally gave up fixing his hair and saw that while his hair was mostly black, the tips slowly changed to auburn, almost like his own natural highlight.

In an attempt to look like her son Artemis copied his hair color.

When it came to the hunters, Percy loved each and every one of them. When he was young and they were camped in an area, he loved reaching out for a different hunter every 10 minutes of being held by one. Though some weren't as enthusiastic, they still gave in due to his age.

When they were running or traveling across the country, Percy was in wrapped in a magic cloth that was looped around Artemis' shoulders. The reason why it was magic was because no matter how fast she ran the baby would feel like it's standing still. Also it keeps whoever is wrapped in it invisible from any other greek deity, specifically her father and brother.

At 2 years old Percy was already showing he could start learning and Lauren was immediately prepared. That is until she had had to change up her entire teaching style because Percy wasn't really grasping anything she taught. At 3 he was already speaking complete sentences, and at 4 he could speak just as well as any 10-12 year old. Though when he listened to other people's conversations, like when they make a stop for supplies in a city, he doesn't really understand what they're talking about. His childhood innocence keeping a strong hold on his heart and mind.

Percy knew full well that he was demigod, also that his mother was a goddess. Artemis also told him how he came to be even though she was a virgin, though she left out some parts like who his birth godly parent was. Percy never thought Sally as his mother, just only as the woman who gave birth to him. In his eyes Artemis is his only parent. When he told his mother and older sister, Zoe, they were a little conflicted with his mindset. Artemis didn't want him to forget the woman but decided that it was the best thing for him.

Though as Percy grew, no one outside of the Hunt ever noticed his existence. Artemis stitched small patches of the magic cloth that held him as a baby, into all his clothes growing up (Artemis was grateful when Athena taught her weaving after the whole Arachne fiasco). Whenever he grew out of them she just took the cloth and wove it into his new clothes. Because of this not even Apollo noticed that little boy who ran around with the hunt, who looks just like his older sister.

Only one goddess knew about Artemis' son, and that was Hestia. The goddess of the Moon knew that there wasn't anyway to keep it from her since the beginning, and was already on alert for her appearance. She always seemed to know everything about Olympus and about all the gods and their secrets. It wasn't until Percy was four though when she found out.

* * *

Hestia was sitting at the hearth thinking about the present and what was to come in the future, specifically concerning the Great Prophecy. She didn't know why but she felt it already has begun, that her brothers have forsaken their oath. She knew of Zeus daughter Thalia but didn't tell anyone, especially Hera, not that she would've told anyone in the first place.

It is true that most of the gods ignore her, including her immediate family. At first it bothered her but she never did anything to gain their attention, she wasn't like the others. Over time though, she began to welcome her solitude, but her actions spoke differently. In the hearth she can see each and every god and goddess and there whereabouts.

She steered clear of viewing Aphrodite and Apollo, as they were almost always with a lover. At least the love goddess was, Apollo was always found with a woman when he wasn't driving the sun. She always watched in fascination of how her sister, Demeter, tended to her garden or how fast Hermes ran to complete deliveries, or even her other nephew, Hephaestus, making creations in his forge. She always felt sympathy when she watched Hades or Poseidon work their kingdom, but was very exasperated staring at the many arguments of Zeus and Hera.

There was never anything to see when it came to her maiden niece Athena. She was always in a library reading some book, some of their lengths shocking Hestia. When it came to Ares, well it wasn't like she couldn't watch him but frankly it's very disturbing. The hearth was always tended to by her at Camp Half-Blood, so there was never a reason to watch Dionysus.

Some gods though do speak to her though. Poseidon sometimes came to talk about his kingdom, their conversations becoming more comfortable since Poseidon lost his infatuation with her. Hera's daughter, Hebe the goddess of youth, also spoke with her occasionally, about many random things but Hestia greatly appreciated the chats they had. But both never came for frequent discussions because they were always busy. Including the goddess of the Moon and Hunt, Hestia favorite niece Artemis.

She never was free to talk that much, they usually speak during Olympian celebrations, both not enjoying the atmosphere. Athena doesn't either but she just hides in her palace to read a book. Artemis was truthfully 100% busy, between riding the moon chariot and maintaining her hunt. These last few years she had been coming late to Solstice meetings and the normal monthly ones as well. Hestia before had always had to come to her.

Hestia stops tending the hearth in the Olympian Throne Room and stands up. It's been nearly a decade since she has spoken to her, a now's a better time as any to make up for some lost time.

Hestia flashed herself in front of the campfire of the Hunt. She looked around and guessed that she was in White River National Forest. She takes a moment to treasure the beautiful forest in the summer. When the blue lupines and Colorado columbines contrast with yellow heartleaf arnica and tall groundsel. Obviously this is a unique area in the forest, where mortals rarely would venture, but the fire goddess also comprehended that this had to be the most beautiful place in the forest.

She stopped admiring the forest, though somewhat grudgingly as it truly was stunning, and turned her head as she heard laughing. She was confused however, the laugh was high-pitched and young. But that really wasn't that puzzling, what really made her tilt her head was that it was the laugh of a young boy.

It was then a boy of a young age, maybe 4 or 5 ran into the camp with the big smile on his face. Hestia eyes widened and her heart clenched with fear, as she thinks that the boy may be running from the hunters as a evil and disgusting game.

Confirming her fears she saw a hunter come out of the forest. She took in her appearance, recognizing the dark haired hunter with a tiara on it's head signifying its position. It was the long time Lieutenant of the Hunt, Zoe Nightshade, and she had a smile on her face as well. Hestia moved quickly, and though it wasn't that fast it wasn't normal for her to move with haste, and grabbed the poor boy and held him close to her chest.

If Hestia would have have payed more attention to Zoe's smile, she would've saw how cheerful it was and how her eyes sparkled with childish amusement. Zoe loved Percy almost as much as Artemis, but definitely more than any of the hunters. She treated Percy like the brother she never had, and though he was four she began instilling into him how well he should treat women.

Though that never stopped him from being childish. He loved playing pranks on her and the older hunters. No one was ever bothered, because his pranks were really small scale as he wasn't old enough to think of any intricate ideas.

When the hunters set up camp in an area, Artemis uses her godly powers to clear up space for a training grounds as well. This helps newer hunters practice with their bows, and the veterans to stay on top of their skills. You could spar, practice with hunting knives or do archery. Percy loved going to the grounds with any of the hunters or his mother.

It was just before Hestia came, when Zoe was helping Percy with his bow. She knew he was far too young as the bow was almost as tall as him, but he insisted so she obliged.

When Hunters practice with the bow, they usually stand 60 yards away, but Percy is only four so he stands 15 yards away. At that distance he was already hitting bullseyes, much to the pleasure of Artemis, but wanted to try at the hunters distance. Zoe argued that 'he wasn't old or strong enough to shoot from that far', and he responded by saying 'he's Artemis' son and should be able to shoot from any place.'

She met him halfway and said he could shoot the distance campers shot from Camp Half-Blood, 30 yards away.

So she was helping him for a little over an hour, as he missed arrow after arrow. They didn't come within five yards of the target. It was then Artemis came to see what was the problem, and laughed when she learned of Percy's challenge and response to when Zoe told him no.

So she helped him just a little and Percy's arrow managed to hit the target. It wasn't a bullseye and only hit the outer-edge but he was more than satisfied. He had a big grin as he gave his mother a hug, which she returned eagerly, and turned to Zoe for a hug as well.

But when he saw her face, his attentive eyes noticed the faint annoyance on her face. So when she kneeled down to hug, he avoided her arms, ran behind her, and pulled her hair while knocking off her tiara. He took a few steps back to see what will happen.

He watched her slowly overcome her shock and gingerly pick up her tiara. He couldn't see her face though, as her back was still turned to him. So instead he looked towards his mother, who was watching with a small smile on her face.

She mouthed, "Run."

He didn't need to be told twice, as he took off like a bat out of water. He didn't need to turn around, as it seems a demigod child of Artemis has increased senses, and heard Zoe sprinting after him.

He ran right out of the training grounds and into their camp. While his athleticism was tremendously increased, again because of his mother's blood, there was no way he was going to outrun Zoe. So he made the only decision he could, run into the tent he shared with his mother.

He was running past the fire and was almost home free, only a couple yards more. But then his body was snatched up, literally picked off his feet like his mother does to him.

He looked up expecting her, but was surprised to see a woman with brown and chocolate eyes. To Percy it seemed like the eyes were constantly melting like hot chocolate, and instead of scaring him it made him want to get closer. And that's exactly what he did, not noticing he was falling asleep and certainly not taking account of the shocked look on his older sister's face.

"L-Lady Hestia." Zoe stammered before giving a slight bow. When she rose, she was slightly scared seeing that furious look in her eye.

"I'm disappointed in you Lieutenant. I know you all have a strong hatred towards men but this is crossing the line. Look at this boy, he is only a child and couldn't fit the standard of your 'evil males'." Hestia said, glaring a freezing glare.

"I-I understand m-milady." Zoe responded, not daring to look her in the eye. There wasn't many that could scare the daughter of Atlas, but when you see an angry look in the most peaceful goddess eyes, you need to a step back.

"You understand?" Hestia questioned, "You understand you were in the process of killing a defenseless boy. He couldn't even be older than five. And what's worth you were to take his life in the name of my niece. I can only hope she didn't condone this act."

At this Zoe tilted her head in confusion. Kill? She wasn't going to kill Percy, only get back for being pranked. She agrees he's only four and she wasn't going to do anything serious to the boy. That gave Zoe a little confidence and prepared to defend herself.

"Peace Hestia. My Lieutenant is not in the wrong."

But of course, her mistress had to come steal her thunder. Though she is thankful, Zoe has only seen Hestia calm and this new emotion she's showing is fairly scary.

* * *

"So you have a child?"

Hestia, Zoe, and Artemis were conversing inside Artemis' tent, with Percy sleeping on his mother's bed. Artemis nodded her head with a joyful glint in her eye, "Yes and I love him a lot. I never knew what being a mother felt like, but now I'm glad I do.

Hestia watched in silent awe as her niece stroked Perseus' hair. A small smile crept onto her face as she is seeing a whole new side of the Moon goddess.

But reality quickly ran in to make it's home and shock made it's way through Hestia. "You're no longer a maiden?!" She all but screamed it out, again scaring the soul out of Zoe. You try witnessing the most peaceful goddess act this way.

Artemis, however, met her aunt's eye with an arched eyebrow. Hestia was never one to accuse and make assumptions, so why now? Artemis shook it off, as she did just reveal she has a child.

"No, I am very much a maiden. I swear it on the Styx." Thunder boomed sealing her oath, and she began telling her story. "I adopted Percy when he was only a few hours old. The Hunt had just set up camp and I…"

After about a 20 minute explanation, Artemis looked at Hestia to see her reaction. Her face was stoic for a moment. "Zoe do you think you could check on the Hunt and make sure everything is fine with them?"

Zoe nodded and stood up. She exited the tent without looking back, knowing that what was to be said was not for her ears.

Artemis watched her leave, not noticing Hestia aging to a woman in her mid-thirties. She was also ignorant to the hug she was about to receive. Proven as she almost fell on her son by the force of the hug.

"I'm so proud of you Artemis." She whispered in her ear. Artemis returned the hug, tears threatening to spill. They stayed that way for a few minutes, not that either of them cared.

Artemis never realized it but she needed this, this approval. It was so alien to her, as she was independent and always felt at peace with her decisions. Adopting Perseus was no exception, but it was really huge decision, and knowing her aunt agrees with her is very uplifting.

Hestia pulled back and took a good look at Percy. The mother strongly resembled his son, which was strange considering he wasn't born from Artemis' womb.

"Artemis?"

"Yes?"

"His birth mother, Sally, did she look anything like you?"

Artemis thought back to the night of when she met Sally. She was a strikingly beautiful woman and when Artemis thought about it, it wasn't hard to understand how she caught the attention of a god. But she recalls that the mortal had brown hair and blue eyes, while she has red, auburn hair with her silver eyes.

Artemis shook her head, "No she didn't, not in the slightest. Why do you ask?"

Hestia pointed at the child, "He looks so much like you, I only wonder why that is. You also said that his father was Poseidon, and yet he smells only like you. Even if you were to bless him, seeing as he is now your child, how would his appearance change to look like you? Your hunters didn't change."

Artemis blushed slightly, she had a theory on why that was but even after all these revelations she was still a little uncomfortable revealing that. She hoped for aunt to drop it, but unfortunately Hestia noticed her blush.

"Artemis," she started slowly not knowing what to expect. "Is there something you're not telling me?"

Artemis was going to shake her head, but she remembered it was Hestia. Surely she would keep a secret. So with a sigh, she held her face in her hands and told her mother figure about the breastfeeding.

Hestia was quite, something Artemis hated. She kept her face where it was and asked, "What do you think?"

"I think I need to make a better effort in stopping by more often."

The goddess of the moon looked up to see the goddess of the hearth smiling, leaving he dumbstruck. "Y-you don't think this was a bad idea?"

"Of course not, you can truly say you have a son. Though I can imagine Poseidon will be very angry with you."

Artemis scowled at that, his name is right along up there with Apollo and Zeus. Though she will remember to thank him for giving her such a wonderful son. She almost didn't hear Hestia calling for her again.

"Yes aunt?"

"I said will you bring Perseus-"

"He likes to be called Percy." Artemis cut in, before blushing again out embarrassment.

But Hestia couldn't be anymore proud. Her niece was always a little immature even if she was the most level-headed, but now she seems different, more sensible. Being a mother will be great for her, if what Hestia has seen is anything to go by.

"My apologies, I was just wondering if you will be presenting him to the Olympians?"

 _No. There is zero chance that Percy will ever be known. Hestia agrees with me keeping him. But the others… no. I'll become the laughing stock of Olympus!_ Artemis was practically screaming her thoughts out, as if Hestia was listening in.

But she knew she had to speak eventually so she said, "No, while I'm comfortable with you knowing, I can't say the same for the others. They will probably call me a hypocrite for being a man-hater and yet I adopted and in the process of raising a son."

Hestia nodded in understanding, but couldn't help but remember that gut feeling. When she looked back at Percy the feeling made it's presence known strongly. It wasn't painful like a stomach ache but you knew it was there. Her eyes widened and turned back to her niece. "Do you think he might be the child of the Great Prophecy? I mean while he is your child, by adoption and blood, he was born from Poseidon's seed."

This was also something that Artemis had thought about. Surprisingly it was Phoebe who brought it up (Artemis concluded that it was because of her father, Ares, that she wanted a war so badly.)

The first line of the prophecy was **A HALF-BLOOD OF THE ELDEST GODS** , but Apollo confirmed that it meant the Big Three. And though Poseidon's blood no longer circulated through her son, he was still his birth father.

Artemis decided to just not think about it at the moment as she kissed Percy's forehead and stood up. She held her hand out to the goddess, "I don't know at this time. But if it comes to be that he is the prophecy child, he'll be more than ready. Now while he's asleep and not bothering anyone, would you care to join us for dinner?"

Hestia stared at Artemis for a second before accepting her hand, "Yes I would, lead the way."

"I'll just call the hunters. But you're cooking Aunt Hestia."

Hestia froze in shock next the camp's campfire. Artemis just gave her a order, but it was… playful.

I _don't think I've been this shocked this many times in all my immortal life._

Hestia's mind began to wander until she shook her head, clearing her thoughts and focusing on the upcoming dinner with the hunters. Even after hearing and learning all that she did, the hearth goddess knew there was more to come. More questions that will need to be brought up in the near future. But there was one thing Hestia was sure of.

Percy was the best thing to ever happen to Artemis.

* * *

 **A/N: Alright here is Chapter 2. I was going to have it up earlier but I can't seem to figure out how to make a line break. Everytime I make one the site deletes it. Even during the first chapter I had a line break before the Author's Note but as you could see it wasn't there.**

 **Thanks for the reviews, I read each and every one of them and really appreciate it. I'm glad most of you liked the first chapter, and I hope I can continue this to make a story.**

 **So Percy is four years old and most of the hunt likes him. Last chapter I said he was a little advanced, and this chapter it definitely shows. How did you like the breastfeeding bit. For the plot I had to write that, and I'm more than satisfied.**

 **If you paid attention I constantly wrote that the older hunters liked him, but the younger wasn't all that crazy over him. It may or may not be influential but I feel it's more realistic than having everyone like him.**

 **As far as this story is concerned this won't be a Pertemis fanfic, if this chapter didn't confirm it enough. I think I'm leaning towards PercyReyna. But for those who love Pertemis don't worry, I have literally 12 other ideas. And I don't mean ideas i mean I have chapters written for them and everything. They consist of many other ships (though not PercyHazel sorry).**

 **I already got Chapter 3 in the works and it should be up within a few days. Constructive criticism is helpful, no mandatory, because even though I like it and you do as well, I know I can do better.**

 **Again thanks for even reading. Share to others, like it, add it to your library.**

 **You won't regret it.**


	3. Chapter 3

**Family**

Apollo, the Greek god of the sun, light, healing, music, poetry, archery, reason and prophecy, also known as the playboy of Olympus. The complete opposite of his maiden sister, Artemis, and sometimes known as the male counterpart of Aphrodite. But frankly, that's not true.

Aphrodite gets more girls than him.

Right now he was going to visit his sister, as suicidal a task can be, to check up on her and her lovely hunters. Although most gods always question why he would, given that Artemis made a group of hunters that hate men, his type especially. He was the living embodiment of the men the hunters vowed to kill, and he had the tendency to visit them the most.

That just goes to show the difference between the two. Artemis was intelligent, rational, and though she was no strategist compared to Athena, the Moon goddess took calculated risks. However, Apollo was childish, immature, and just like his father threw tantrums when he didn't get what he wanted.

But there's more to meet the eye when it comes to Apollo. When Artemis first became an Olympian, she swore, very easily, to become a maiden goddess. She was given the hunt as a gift as long as she swore off the company of men. Though she stayed true to her virgin oath and was never tempted once to break it, she didn't completely swear off men.

There were a few, like Hippolytus and Orion. Orion was the first male to ever join the hunters, though was Artemis' deepest regret, as he turned out to be a womanizer and a rapist. Artemis and her hunt could and would never get over it; 1, they allowed a male into their hunt and 2, the male they allowed was the one they despised the most. No one dared make fun of Artemis though, as she is one of the most fearsome gods on Olympus.

When it came to Hippolytus, well he was a decent man. Not anything striking out as good, but really all he did was hunt well. Though Artemis categorized him as peculiar, as he was the only male she ever met who didn't agree with love. But not just romantic but sibling, paternal, and even simply friendship. As weird as he was Artemis didn't want him to die so she shipped him off to Italy to be a priest to her shrines.

But it was the incident with Orion when her man-hating actions developed and her brother receives the brunt of it. Though the Sun god should have expected it, given that he and Orion are one and the same, minus the rape portion.

Apollo knew that there was no point in changing his ways, Artemis' mind was set on how he acts, so the only option was to embrace it. His twin would never visit him or speak to him, so he came to her. In all honesty, he never found not one of the hunters attractive. Sure they were really beautiful, but he could never say he lusted after any of them.

But he pretends like he does anyway because that's the only way he can his sister will he even look at him. That's the beauty behind the madness, to get the sibling interaction he craves so dearly he must become the man his sister hates.

It's the same madness that is again driving him right back to the Hunters of Artemis, and even though he'll be threatened and attacked in his mind it's worth it.

It was right after he finished landing the sun, leading Artemis to begin riding the moon, when he visited. He knew it was dinner time so he teleported near the edge of the camp, that way he can at least get to the hunters before Artemis comes to make him leave.

Apollo easily found them in Coconino National Forest. His favorite state is Arizona, so it helps that they were in the state's forest. It's been awhile since he last visited, almost 20 years. Granted that time the hunters actually landed 5 arrows in his manhood. Not pretty.

It doesn't matter anyway, as he could see all of them when he drove the sun. He's a witness on why they're the most feared of all demigods. They can traverse the entire country in a week from end to end. But the older hunters, from the Ancient Greek days, can do it 3 days. But even Artemis can do it by herself in under 24 hours.

That doesn't even compare to Hermes though, the god of speed. He can go from New York City to Los Angeles in the snap of a finger. And that's not flashing, he is literally running so fast that it seems like flashing.

Apollo couldn't help but feel like something is different though like something happened or something is to come. Him being the god of prophecy hated the feeling of not knowing. All gods know the past and present, but he is gifted to know the future, therefore he should know everything.

The gods never need to announce their arrival to another, because the aura they give off is so strong there isn't any need to. So imagine the surprise on Apollo's face when he felt his sister's presence near the camp.

 _But she should've just started driving the Moon. She shouldn't be here yet._ Apollo thought before he shrugged. _Oh well, it doesn't mean I'm going to stop._

But he did enter with more caution than before. It didn't help that there were trees in the way, meaning he could get attacked at any time and he wouldn't even know it. He jumped right out of his pants when a little boy dropped from a tree, excitement gleaming in his eyes.

Now Percy, even though he's 7, believes it his natural born duty to protect the hunters. He's proven that when participating in an attack he had no business in. And every night when his mother leaves to drive the moon he goes on patrol. He wants to kill any monster before it got to the Hunt.

What he doesn't know is that the hunters go on a quick patrol just before Artemis leaves, leaving him the weakest monsters possible.

Apollo sounded like he could be patron goddess of the hunt when a released a girlish scream. Though the last time he was jumped his manhood was hanging on by a thread. But it wasn't that someone appeared out of the trees. It was the fact a BOY appeared out of the trees.

Apollo instantly got protective, figuring that the boy was too young to suffer a horrible fate. He was going to pull a Hestia and get the young boy out of there.

But just like with women you can't be forward with children, you need to make them comfortable. A shame pedophiles use the same tactic. But Apollo wasn't evil, he just wanted the boy to get out of here alive.

So he kneeled in front of the boy and asked gently, "Hi young one, what's your name?"

The boy wasted no time in replying and was actually jumping up and down. "My name is Percy and I know you! Your name is… uh… Apollo! That's right your name is Apollo, the evil sun god!"

Apollo eyes widened at the fact he knew who he was. But he didn't focus on it, only that Percy called him evil. Who told him that he's evil?

"So um…"

"Percy!"

"Yes, Percy, that's right. Who told you that I was uh… evil?"

"Well, all my sisters say that you're vile and disgusting. Mommy says so too. Wait, I'm sorry I meant mom." Percy looked down internally chastising himself for sounding like a three-year-old. But then he remembered something important.

"You're my mother's brother, right? So that makes you my uncle Apollo. I don't know what Zoe was talking about, you seem cool to me." Percy spoke honestly.

Apollo, however, felt his eyes go blank and his face stoic. Multiple words that Percy said kept running around in his mind.

 _Sisters…vile and disgusting…Zoe…mother's brother…Uncle Apollo_

He gasped in realization and fell onto his butt. "Please let this be a joke, please let this be a joke." He started talking to himself as he began analyzing Percy.

When he saw Percy's raven black hair he first thought that it was just Zoe pretending to look like a boy to scare him. But something inside him said look at the tips of his hair and he did.

They were Auburn just like his older sister, Artemis.

That made Apollo snap out of it and he quickly bunched up Percy's shirt and lifted his eye level to a now standing Apollo, bellowing, "Who are you?!"

Percy, now determining the Sun god as a hostile threat, summoned the hunting knives that he received from his mother during his 5th birthday and tried to swipe at his attacker.

Apollo, seething with rage, knocked both knives away and stared Percy deep into his eyes. But that only fueled the raging fire inside of Apollo as he saw pure silver eyes. The same eyes of his supposedly maiden sister.

Percy was scared out of his mind. This wasn't a monster but a god. Zoe told him how the hunters used to give him Hades, so he had an idea.

"ZOE!" He was going to continue to shout the others names but Apollo started using his other hand to strangle him. "PH- PHOEBE!" He was now coughing and gasping for air.

Zoe who was constantly listening out for Percy broke out into a full-fledged sprint from the dinner table at the sound of her younger brother's voice.

The rest would've stayed back but when Phoebe's name was called everyone realized this is a serious situation and followed after the Lieutenant.

Zoe had to sprint only 200 yards from the camp until she was met with the sight of Apollo choking Percy. Percy was trying his hardest to move the Sun god's hands but it did nothing but make it worse.

Zoe knew exactly what she had to do, as she and Artemis ingrained into her head in case the scenario ever happened.

"Lady Artemis, come quick! It's Apollo!"

The moment Zoe finished her sentence the entire forest was suffocated by moonlight. Apollo felt the air leave his body as his hands lost his grip on Percy's neck.

Once the light died down, Apollo opened his eyes to see Artemis holding Percy patting his back, trying to help him to breathe, and whispering soothing words. She then began walking towards the hunters and gave Percy to Zoe, who instantly began checking everywhere on him.

Artemis' eyes went stone cold as she turned back to her brother, who was currently struggling to breath himself. She could not believe he dared to choke her son to death, even if he did just figure it out.

"Artemis…" Apollo tried, before being punched square in the nose driving his body into the ground.

"You dare try to kill my son."

Apollo should've been scared. You could see the definite anger in her eyes but her voice held no emotion like a serial killer or a psychopath. But right now there were more important things to worry about.

"Who did it?"

Artemis stared right into his eyes and took one step forward.

"What?"

"Who did it Artemis? Who took advantage of you?"

Another step forward.

"No one took advantage of me Apollo. I'm still a virgin."

Apollo couldn't detect any lies but he still didn't have all the answers.

"Than why is he here? That boy."

Apollo tried scrambling back but his back hit the trunk of a tree. Artemis recognizing he was cornered closed the distance between them and pulled him by the shirt, fist raised to pummel her brother.

"That boy is my son. Do you want to know how? You don't get to know. Not after you tried to kill him."

On the last sentence, a punch landed on Apollo's face with every word. Artemis took a few steps back after destroying his face and waited for his next move, eyes never losing their fury.

Apollo laid still but everyone knew he was still alive. He slowly raised a hand to his face and healed all the marks bruises and cuts before standing up.

"Then I'll just go tell father."

He form began to shine, causing all hunters to turn away. Once he was gone Artemis lost her ice-cold demeanor and hurried towards Zoe to check on Percy.

She grabbed him from her Lieutenant and started walking in circles around the forest whispering to her son. The hunt who was still there turned back to walk to camp, knowing their mistress was a little vulnerable due to what happened to Percy.

"Are you alright Percy?"

"I'm fine mom. Just hurts to breathe a little."

"I'm sorry, I should've seen him coming. I should've been here to protect you."

"Don't worry mom, you were right. He is an evil god."

"Yes, he is. He should've never laid his hands on you. No one will ever hurt you in any way shape or form. As long as I'm here I won't let anyone harm you."

Percy smiled at her declaration and hugged her a little tighter, wrapping his arms around her neck.

"I love you, Mom."

Artemis smiled and hugged him with just as much vigor. "I love you too, Percy."

She stood still, just holding her child and wishing that the moment could never end. But fate had different plans for her as thunder struck the sky, signaling a meeting.

"I'll hold him for you."

Artemis whipped her head towards the voice and was grateful to see her Aunt Hestia. She gave a small smile and handed her Percy, who easily switched women. He really did love Hestia, almost as much as he loved Zoe, but couldn't hold a candle to the love for his mother. But honestly, Percy couldn't love anyone more than her.

"Don't you have to be there as well?"

"I'm not on the council remember? Just call me when Zeus wants to see Percy. Are you prepared to tell everyone?"

That was a question constantly running through Artemis' mind the day she adopted Percy. Before it was an obvious no but now, now she holds a lot of pride for her son. She cares not about how everyone will react because Percy is an amazing boy.

"No Hestia, I think I'm more than ready to speak about my son."

And with that she flashed to the council meeting, ready to boast about her son.

* * *

The Olympian Throne Room, the most imposing building in all of Greek mythology. There hold the thrones to all the Olympian gods.

Zeus and Hera, Poseidon, Demeter, Athena, Apollo, Hermes, Ares, Hephaestus, Aphrodite, and Dionysus waited patiently for Artemis to arrive.

Years ago this would've been unheard of. Every meeting Zeus, Hera, Athena, and Artemis were usually the first to arrive. But all of a sudden the Moon goddess started arriving later than even Dionysus. She even was always in a hurry to leave council meetings as well. No one questioned why though, just placing into account that the hunt is more strenuous work than the eye could see.

They didn't have to wait long this time, as Artemis' throne glowed silver before dimming, revealing a twenty-year-old silver-eyed goddess.

It was also the changing of her age that was peculiar. She usually came in a twelve-years-old form, which was the fuel to Apollo calling himself the oldest. This change started when she began coming late, but even Athena didn't seem to place 2 and 2 together.

All the gods turned to Zeus who, in turn, looked towards Apollo. "Apollo, why did you have me call this meeting?"

"I happened to have come upon something very interesting." Apollo started looking at his sister. "It was when I tried visiting Hunter's camp and-"

"Wait, did you seriously call a meeting because the hunters attacked you again. Why do you even go?" Hermes interrupted.

"No, I wasn't attacked. But there was something else. Father when I arrived at the camp I found a boy there."

Apollo expected a huge reaction but all he got was a tired look, with Zeus leaning on his elbow. "So that's why Artemis has been late these last few meetings. Why did you feel the need to request a council meeting though, as Hermes already asked?"

"Because the boy has the exact same hair as Artemis, and matching silver eyes."

This brought out the gasp Apollo sought for. Everyone placed their attention on Artemis, who seemed as composed and collected as ever. Emotions of shock and betrayal were painted on the various gods' faces.

Aphrodite, however, was practically jumping out of her throne. "So Arty fell in love, lost her virginity, and had a son! How did you get that past me?"

Prepared for that question she easily replied with, "I haven't and will never fall in love with a disgusting male. I am also still a virgin. I swear this on the River Styx." She did say this while glaring at the love goddess though.

Thunder reverberated above the throne room, and some of the gods tensed thinking she was going to get punished. After a few seconds, nothing happened and shock and betrayal morphed into confusion.

Zeus knew this was a delicate subject and he had to play it safe. This wasn't any demigod or minor god he was speaking to. If he made a big deal and it wasn't serious he could be on the bad side of his daughter. And no one wanted to be on that side.

"Artemis." He called grasping his daughter's attention. "What's the boy's, your son's, name?"

Some gods looked at Zeus in confusion on why he would ask that question, all except Athena, who understood his approach.

"Perseus Jackson. But he prefers to be called Percy."

Poseidon was bored right from the start of this meeting. He has been in a funk for a little over half a decade ever since his lover died. He knew she was pregnant with his child but he hasn't seen a trace of the boy. But he did remember what they agreed to name the child. If it was a girl it would be Andromeda.

And for a boy, it was going to be Perseus.

Artemis watched slowly as Poseidon placed the pieces together, despite Athena's words Poseidon is actually a smart god. She smirked as the sea god's eyes widened and Artemis wasn't even fazed when he jumped off his throne, trident in hand.

"YOU DARE!" Poseidon roared. He launched a beam of energy towards Artemis but Zeus diverted it with his Master Bolt. Zeus also was on his feet, prepared to defend his daughter, at least until he figured out what was the problem.

"POSEIDON! Do not attack my daughter! If there is something you need to say then say it!"

Poseidon eyes were literally glowing gazing deep into the unfazed goddess of the Hunt. Artemis decided it was time to bring Percy so she mind messaged Hestia to do so. "She killed my lover and stole my son to make him hers!"

Artemis expected many things to happen but being accused of killing Percy's mortal mother wasn't one of them. She wasn't even thinking as her bow materialized in her hand, loaded an arrow, and let it fly towards near Poseidon's head.

"I did not kill your lover, Sally Jackson. You were the reason for why she died."

"And how is it was my fault that she passed?"

"Because she was constantly praying for your help as she was chased by a CYCLOPS! A monster that resides specifically in your domain and loyal to you."

Zeus listened to this exchange intently and heard each and every word. But the only thing he understood was, "Poseidon you BROKE YOUR OATH!" Zeus raised his Master Bolt, prepared to smite his brother.

"You did it first brother, twice if I'm not mistaken," Poseidon responded, looking towards Hera who grudgingly nodded.

"Yes, but did he leave his lover and children to die, like you Poseidon?" Artemis would usually never side with Zeus on these matters, but if she supports Zeus on this then Zeus could support her adoption of Perseus.

"Wait so the boy, Perseus, was a child of Poseidon?" Athena asked and received a nod. "Then why does he have the same appearance as you, and why does he give off an ambiance of the forest and not of the sea?"

Artemis began to flush in embarrassment slightly, but Zeus was confused, "What do you mean Athena?"

Athena pointed towards Dionysus' throne where there was a little boy sitting on the armrest having a conversation with the god. Zeus noticed his silver eyes shining with excitement.

"Oh my gods is that Percy!" Aphrodite reached over and grabbed Percy right off of Dionysus' throne. "He is so cute!"

She gave Percy a tight hug that almost knocked the boy unconscious. Percy managed to break free from the hug and get a good look at his captor. His eyes widened when he saw the goddess. "You're pretty. Wait a second… that means your Aphrodite!"

Aphrodite's heart soared at his cuteness, "You are so adorable! I can tell you're going to be really handsome when you grow up too! Oh, I'm going to make sure you have a great love life, I already know who I'm going to use!"

"No, you don't." Artemis interrupted, she already suspected the love goddess' antics. "You are going to leave my son alone."

"Oh come on Arty you can't expect him to stay a virgin like you. He is a male, and I can tell if he'll be handsome. Trust me he's going to be a major heartbreaker. Or are you going to make him fall in love with himself like Narcissus?"

Artemis was going to respond but Poseidon had enough of this, "HE IS NOT YOUR SON!"

Percy had no idea what was going on but accepted Poseidon's outburst as saying he wasn't Aphrodite son. Which he was fine with because he knew it was true, but was surprised to see his mother get angry and jumped out her seat. Percy concluded Poseidon but be evil like Apollo, which kinda didn't sit right with him.

"Get over it! You allowed Sally to be killed and abandoned your so-called son! He is my child and that is it!"

Poseidon was going to retort but found himself with angry glares from the most of the council, mainly the goddesses and Apollo and Hermes. He huffed in defiance and disappeared in a shroud of mist.

Percy, however, was highly uncomfortable. Poseidon just used water powers, something Percy just found out he had as well. But the problem was how his mother reacted, Percy decided to just keep it a secret and not think about it. He had more things to worry about, like stopping Aphrodite from kissing him.

The goddess of love starting spraying kisses all over Percy, much like a grandmother would, and Percy took it like a champ. Face scrunched up, he didn't realize why the hunters hated her until she pecked him on the mouth three times.

That crossed the line as he pushed her face back, escaped her grasp, and jumped off her throne to the one on Aphrodite's left, Athena's. He sat on the armrest wiping his mouth with his sleeve cursing in Greek, not taking into account on the throne he just sat on.

Athena was a little surprised that the boy would just jump on her throne as if it was an everyday thing but took this as an opportunity to study him. Well she tried, she was taken aback as Percy started spewing out Greek curses and…in Latin.

"Artemis would you care to elucidate some details about your son for the council? Things, such as, why he looks like you, gives off your aura, and how he can express himself in Greek and Latin?"

This time Artemis couldn't hold back a blush and the curiosity of the gods spiked. Artemis knew she had to tell why but also decided that only few would get to know.

"All male gods have to leave this instant, except Zeus of course."

"Wait why, I wanna know!" Hermes whined.

"I don't care. Leave or face my bow." Artemis responded coldly. Some gods like Hephaestus, Dionysus, and Ares couldn't care less and flash away immediately. Apollo was going to protest but when he caught his father's glare he decided against it.

"Come on Hermes, I found this great club in Arizona," Apollo said, grabbing Hermes and flashing out. Leaving only the goddesses and Zeus.

"Now I need everyone in this room to swear on the River Styx to never repeat what I'm going to say to anyone." Artemis started.

While everyone was swearing the oath, Percy hopped off of Athena's throne and skipped his mother's, advancing towards Demeter's. He acted the same when he was near Dionysus and hopped onto the elder goddess' throne.

They both had a minor staring contest, both pairs of eyes filled to the brim with curiosity. Percy, however, broke it and gave a small smile as he noticed something. "You remind me of my favorite cereal, Lucky Charms."

Now Demeter wasn't a goddess many needed to impress. She wasn't exactly peaceful like Hestia, but she really doesn't do much. But the first words out of the moon spawn's mouth easily cemented him into one of Demeter's favorite people. And at the words of her favorite cereal, her eyes lit up with joy and she gave a happy smile, and she grabbed and placed him on her lap while summoning a small bowl of Lucky Charms.

Percy's eyes illuminated and were ready to dig in but before he placed the spoon in his mouth he stopped and looked towards his mother for permission. Artemis and everyone else was watching the exchange with amusement and Artemis nodded her head. "It's a special occasion so you can have it today."

Hera watched Percy began to eat and couldn't help but be amazed at how disciplined Percy was. She also couldn't help but wonder how Artemis was at being a mother. Already she's showing she was better than she [Hera] was at motherhood. If you were to compare Ares and Perseus to one another. But she shook it off as Artemis prepared to speak.

"So I was really angry at Poseidon for what he did to Sally and I wanted to get him back. But I wanted to do more than just have Percy as my adopted son. It was then I learned about…"

* * *

Father, I'm leaving with Percy now. Is everything alright?" Artemis questioned. Zeus had been silent the entire time since Artemis revealed her breastfeeding.

Everyone was a little more than surprised when Artemis told them. Aphrodite was absolutely speechless and internally giddy, never ever expecting her to do anything like that. Hera and Demeter were shocked but got over it, as Percy made his way to the queen of the god's throne during the exchange.

Athena just kept asking more questions. And was very exultant to learn Lauren, her daughter, was taking the lead in Percy's education. Once she had her fill with information she flashed out along with Aphrodite and Demeter.

Artemis collected Percy off of Hera's throne and was waiting in front of Zeus' throne, waiting for him to say something. But he just stared forward, towards the Throne Room doors.

Hera placed her hand on her husband/brother's shoulder, snapping him out of it. Once he regained his bearings he asked, "Did you say something daughter?"

"Yes, I was letting you know Percy and I are going to depart and return to the camp." She was holding her son in a side hold, and both pairs of sterling silver eyes were waiting patiently and anxiously for a response.

Zeus was lost in the similarities in the two. _And their almost identical features are all because of… nevermind. It is too disturbing to think about._

"Yes, thank you for showing him to us." He gave a small smile to show he actually was happy. It was enough to convince Artemis as she nodded and flashed out with her son.

"Husband," Hera called out. "Are you well? You seem to be out of it since Percy's arrival."

Zeus had a small internal battle before deciding he should confide to his wife about his troubles. "What if this was planned Hera? What if Poseidon intentionally let Artemis find the boy. You heard Artemis, the mortal was right on his doorstep and he did not answer. How could that have happened? It does not make any sense."

Hera rolled her eyes at her paranoid husband. It's the same paranoia that makes so many problems on Olympus. She was for the oath, though he broke it twice, and that was because it had the potential to save her family. But now the Great Prophecy has started, well she thinks. Athena is looking into it. Percy, in fact, wasn't a child of the big three anymore.

Yet the goddess of marriage decided to ease her cheating husband's nerves, "Zeus you need to stop. Percy is in the care of Artemis, and though I hate to say it she seems to be a decent mother. For a male-hating goddess at least. Anyways, the point you are missing is that he is not a son of Poseidon anymore. If you think about it, these prophecies seem to be always in your favor. You need to be more grateful. Now you can stay here and sulk but there are weddings I need to attend."

Hera flashed out leaving the king of the gods to his thoughts. She was right, he was no longer his brother's spawn but his own grandchild. His first grandchild from one his maiden daughters, he realized.

With a triumphant smile, he flashed out of the Throne Room with a deafening thunderbolt. Prophecies did tend to go his way after all.

All credit is given to his disruptive family, of course.

* * *

 **A/N: Finally right? I mean I drop two lengthy chapters back to back and then I take a week and a half for this one. Sorry about on to the story. This chapter was so hard to right. I mean this was excruciatingly painful. So many different characters mean so many speech patterns. What normal person talks like Athena? Because I had to be so careful about how certain gods spoke, it made me take longer to write.**

 **At first, this chapter was only 3000 words. But I kinda rushed it, even though it looked good. Something I realized was that everyone was different and I had to implement that when I rewrote this chapter.**

 **Family obviously was pretty big in this chapter. You have Artemis and Apollo, Artemis and Percy, and the big family during the council meeting. Unfortunately, things are going to take a huge turn. Right into a chapter that literally inspired me to write this story.**

 **Now when it comes to the ship of this story. It's obvious that it's between PercyReyna and PercyPiper. Those who ship Percy with a goddess, just hold on. I have one where Percy is paired with one. Let's just get through this story and we'll move on to the next.**

 **PM if you have any ideas about anything involving this story, the pairings, or if you have story ideas as well and you want me to try it. I said before I have multiple stories ready and I mean it. And PM'S show me you guys really enjoy this story and will keep me motivated.**

 **Hope you enjoyed this chapter it was by far the longest with 5k words. Constructive Criticism is mandatory like always. This story is also on Wattpad, just search the title or Tech108. I would love to see your comments on certain paragraphs and such. You'll see I started there way earlier but it's really hard to get noticed so I came to Fanfiction**

 **Again thanks for even reading. Share to others, like it, add it to your library.**

 **You won't regret it.**


	4. Chapter 4

**Secrets**

Percy didn't like what was happening. He didn't like it not one bit. Today was his 10th birthday, and his mother let him spend it with his Uncle Apollo. Now they were able to patch up their relationship, but that didn't mean Percy was 100% comfortable staying with him. And today proves that.

"Uncle Apollo," Percy asked, "Are you sure we should be here?"

His awesome uncle (Percy would beg to differ) took him to a bar, that's right a bar. It was for the sole purpose of teaching him how to seduce a woman with manly charms. But Percy was raised by Artemis and educated by a daughter of Athena and knew better, Apollo was just using Percy to attract ladies.

Which was stupid because he's like… 10 years old.

"Shush Percy, I'm showing how to use our family charm."

"What charm? You're the only one who goes around being a man whore."

Apollo slightly narrowed his eyes at Percy, "Does my sister know you talk like that?"

"Does my mother know you took me here? And she probably wouldn't care because that what's the entire Hunt calls you. Plus I know you wouldn't tell, though I'm not bad anyways. The only ones who would even try are probably the newer hunters." He muttered that last sentence but Apollo's keen ears heard it.

"First off you have charm. My mother was able to attract Zeus, I'm able to attract multiple beautiful women-"

"Including Daphne?"

"She was different." Apollo responded a little too quickly. "She didn't like gods anyways and I was also hit with a love arrow. And though I got her turned into a tree, I honored her with a laurel too. Now where was I."

"I believe you were speaking about our family charm before babbling about a failed encounter with a woman."

"You're definitely Artemis' kid." Apollo muttered, "You know even Artemis attracts men, how do you think she was able to castrate so many? You think they come to her?"

"I think they like to stare from afar while she bathes and then become rabid dog chow."

"I was actually proud of her when she told me she did that. But listen Perce, you could even get those newer hunters to like you if you had the basics on your tool belt."

For some odd reason the newer hunters hated him. For timeline purposes let's say there are three groups. One holds the oldest hunters, like Zoe, which date all the way to the beginning of the rise of the gods to the fall of Rome. Then their the ones who are kind of in the middle. Those, like Lauren, are after the fall of Rome to the American Revolution.

Then there are the newest, which holds those during the beginning of the American Revolution to present day. Apparently boys of all ages abused them and they can't let go of the fact that Percy was with them since the literal beginning. Like under 10 hours of his birth he became part of the hunt. His ichor is that of the same mistress they hunt with and they still hate them. After an entire decade, Percy could honestly care less and can agree with Apollo with them being slightly petty.

But of course, anyone tells Apollo that, Percy would profoundly disagree. Then he'll put an arrow between the accuser's eyes.

"Uncle Apollo I don't that's necessary. I really don't care what they think of me. They are only a small portion of them hate me, and everyone else doesn't have any problem with me." Percy admitted.

"Yeah well my sister expects grandchildren. And you're going to be attracted to women. Actually more women than most, considering you're going to be a god at 18 or 20."

That was also big news. Percy was going to turn immortal at either 18 or 20. When he does Zeus promised Artemis that when he does become immortal he will bestow onto him godhood. Should he deserve it of course.

Turns out the breastfeeding went on a little too far. The blood of Poseidon was eradicated but Artemis had a little too much flowing through Perseus. He had 78% ichor and 22% mortal blood. Hence making him into an immortal.

Also fun fact about demigods they are not actually 50/50 on the ichor blood scale. Usually for a normal demigod it's 47/53. If it was truly half and half then every demigod would have a chance at becoming immortal.

When it came to the Hunters, for Artemis it was always a sister-sister relationship than could have graduated to an mother-daughter relationship, depending on the hunter and its wants. And even with the partial immortality they could still die in battle.

So you could just imagine just how ecstatic she was when she learned her first real demigod child was fated to become a god. She literally dared anyone, including Poseidon, to try to make a claim on her son's life.

Well it was really only Poseidon she threatened, but that's besides the point.

Apparently Aphrodite showed a few people on Olympus on what Percy will look like when he matures and according to Apollo there are goddesses waiting for him. The sun god had the nerve to say all the vulgar things they wanted Percy to do to them right in front of Artemis.

If he thought five arrows in the crotch was painless, trying having arrows sticking out of every possible place on the lower half of his body. He also had to wear a eye patch for 3 weeks because he couldn't heal his eye with his powers. He tried to hide from Hermes, but Artemis mailed a letter right to Apollo, inevitably making Apollo the joke of the century.

Percy himself didn't know what to think of it. Thinking hard wasn't something he liked to do, not because he was slow or stupid, but because it betrayed his laid back nature.

He was a little sarcastic too, but like before, that's besides the point.

"I don't think Mom would appreciate me sleeping with a bunch of women."

"Well what else are you going to do? Get married?" Apollo said it like it was the most insane thing he ever thought of.

"Gee well that's a thought."

He waited for a response but when he looked up from the burger and fries he was eating and saw Apollo staring at a girl who just walked in. Percy could only assume she did, taking in account of the door just opening.

Percy knows when he sees a pretty girl. And this one basically fit the bill. She had wavy blond hair and shiny blue eyes. Her body gave off that she was athletic and she had a slight tan. She wasn't drop dead gorgeous by any means but she fit Apollo standards.

Percy frowned when he noticed just how youthful her face looked. She looked as though she just became eligible of legal drinking age which meant that she's really young. That also meant Apollo was going to impregnate her and mess up her life forever. Things he knew he couldn't allow.

They were already in a conversation when he got to them. Though he did have to cross the entire room. But when he got there Apollo grabbed him in an effort to present him to his lady friend. "And this was the little squirt I was talking about."

"Aww he's adorable. Aaron tells me your name is Percy. Hi, I'm Kaitlyn." Kaitlyn greeted Percy, who was currently trying not to snap at the fact he was called _adorable_.

 _I'm handsome, not adorable. Get it right._

"Hi Kaitlyn, so how long have you known Aaron?"

"Oh well we just met a few minutes ago, but already he's told me all about you!" Percy thought the girl was a little too happy for his taste, but Apollo looked like he just received a gold medal.

"Really, what did he say about me?"

"Well he said how he took you in off the street and gave you a home. He also tells me you like sports."

"Yeah I do archery and I'm really good."

"That's awesome! I'm actually a college soccer player. I'm hoping to eventually make the USA team."

Red flag. She has a clear view on her future. Percy had to end her attraction to Apollo immediately.

"Hey Kaitlyn, do you want to know something weird?"

"What's that?"

"Isn't it a little strange that Aaron took a ten year old to a bar filled with a bunch of drunk adults? It's also the middle of the day, not really a safe environment for a kid like me isn't it?"

She instantly lost her smile and gained a suspicious look. Kaitlyn turned her head to Aaron who looked like a deer caught in headlights. "Yeah Aaron, do you care to explain this?"

Percy was pleased on how much progress he made on one comment and decided he didn't want a double but a grand slam. "His name isn't actually Aaron either. It's actually Fred."

The attraction visibly retracted from her eyes and she grabbed her handbag, obviously getting ready to leave. "Oh it isn't?"

"Yeah he figures girls would be more interested in a man name Aaron. Fred said his name is too boring and totally lame."

At that she finally stood up and was glaring at Apollo, "I think I'm going to leave for now Fred."

When she turned her back, Percy had the brightest smile as he watched Apollo place his face in his hands.

"Hey how do you like your cake I fed you Uncle Apollo?"

"It's horrible."

Neither of them saw Kaitlyn returning to their booth, "And for the record my Grandpa's name was Fred. And he was very handsome when he was young." With that she finally turned around and exited the bar.

"Oh I'm very sorry. I forgot to put the icing on that cake. Here just hand it over here for a moment and I'll just-"

"Dammit Percy," Apollo slammed his hands on the table, "You always do this every time I talk to a girl."

It was then someone slid right next to Apollo. Percy was going to chase her away as well, but then he saw who it was and his blood ran cold.

"Aww aren't you a sweetie. Maybe you just can't find the right one?"

The newcomers voice was unnaturally high, but Apollo still took the bait. He immediately resigned to not pursue her when he saw red hair, but at the sight of the silver eyes well… he promptly turned around and vomited everything in his stomach.

Percy and his mother both stood up quickly as the sick sun god threw up everything he ate. It wasn't like she was wearing anything skimpy, just a normal silver t-shirt and dark blue jeans. But Artemis silently relished his reaction.

"Well now I can cross that out on the reasons you tricked me into killing Orion."

Apollo turned around to face his older sister abruptly and Percy wished he had a camera. Apollo looked hilarious with his wide-eyes and strands of vomit surrounding his mouth.

"You think I tricked you because I had romantic feelings for you?" He croaked, "Did over-protective just never come into your mind?"

Artemis in turn just shrugged, not even fazed by her brother's haunted look. "Of course that's what everything looked like. But your the model of each and every disgusting male, so I had to keep all my options open."

Apollo just stared incredulously at his sister and then shuddered involuntarily, like the thought was petrifying his very soul.

"Percy, I'll just have Hermes send your actual gift."

And with that Apollo flashed out. None of the mortals looked at him because they were drunk out of their minds. Percy could've swore that the bartender was Dionysus but his mother grabbed him and flashed them to their campsite.

Today they were camped in Sierra National Forest, and it looked amazing this time of the year. But Percy couldn't really focus on that, he now had to answer to the woman tapping her foot impatiently in front of him.

He decided to try to make her laugh instead of coming out with the truth. "You know Mom, this kind of explains a lot."

He knew the fates were in his favor when his mother entertained his obvious stalling by raising her eyebrow. "And what does this explain?"

"Well everytime Apollo took me out he would never go for red heads. Once we went to this restaurant and there was an entire family of like twelve and eight were girls. All had red hair. He practically threw me out the restaurant when he saw that and was hyperventilating."

Artemis just stared into Percy's soul, processing the words. After 4 minutes of uncomfortable staring she cracked a small smile and shook her head. "You're lucky it's your birthday or you would've been in big trouble."

She took a step forward to him and grabbed his hand. She began walking to where the tents were set up.

"Um Mom?"

"Yes?"

"Why are you holding my hand?"

She looked down at her growing son with a motherly smile, something you would never see on the famed goddess of the Hunt.

"Your ten years old now Percy. You're not my little boy anymore and I need to take advantage of these moments before you don't even want hugs anymore."

"I understand Mom but really, do you have to hold my hand?"

"It's either this or I shower kisses on your face during dinner in front of the entire Hunt."

"I think you're doing just fine holding my hand."

Artemis smirked at Percy and held his hand in a comfortable silence. When they reached their shared tent she stopped and turned to him.

"Are you ready to know what your gift is?"

Percy, completely not expecting this, was stuck for a moment before nodding his head enthusiastically.

She snapped her fingers and Percy's world began to spin. When it stopped and Percy regained his balance he looked at his mother expectantly. When she looked at him with a gaze that said _I just gave it to you. Now you have to find it._

So he gazed at her tent, then the one to the right of it. He didn't find anything usual until…

 _Wait all of the hunter's tent are to the left of Mom's. Their shouldn't be anything on the right._

Artemis watched in satisfaction as her beloved son's eyes lit up. He took a few steps before looking at Artemis who nodded. That was all he needed before he sprinted to the new tent. When he walked in he was more than amazed.

It was blank. It had nothing inside but a bed and a dresser. He was amazed that his mother got his own tent only to find it completely barren. He had a slightly annoyed look on his face when he turned to his mother. It didn't help that she was trying to not laugh.

"You gave me my own tent. That has nothing in it."

"I decided you should decorate it. Considering you'll be going on your first solo hunt soon."

Percy almost fell backwards on the floor. "What?! Wait, wait, are you serious?"

She nodded her head and Percy broke out into happy dance. She felt like she was forgetting something.

"Oh that's right! Percy you need to meet Zoe near the lake. She has her own gift for you there. From what I could tell it's really special. Now hurry before dinner starts."

That was all he needed to make him start to leave. But before the tent flap closed the son of Artemis appeared again. "And for dessert I can have Lucky Charms?"

Artemis could've broke down laughing at the hopeful tone in his voice. Only her child could perceive cereal as a dessert. Though he was only allowed to have it during his birthday.

"Yes after dinner you can have cereal. I'll even get it from Demeter herself. You are her favorite grandnephew."

With that Percy flashed a quicksilver smile, much similar to his mother, and ran out to go to his older sister.

So the Lucky charms thing requires a little explanation…

* * *

 _The hunt was making their usual stop in a city to refill on their supplies._

 _The group this time was Zoe, Phoebe, a daughter of Demeter named Floria, and a daughter of Nike named Elota. Of course that was all they needed, but a three year old Percy insisted that he accompany them, much to the distaste of Elota._

 _"I still don't understand why he has to come with us. He's only 3 years old." Elota started._

 _"Just shut up about it already. We are already in the city and he's here. He's not even bothering anyone." Phoebe argues._

 _"He doesn't need to do anything. His existence is enough to bother me." Elota muttered, but Phoebe heard it._

 _"He's just a little kid. Not only that but we raised him. You need to stop having problems with a 3 year old." Phoebe snarled._

 _This started an huge argument between War and Victory, and Zoe and Floria watched in amusement._

 _"You think we should stop them?" Floria asked_

 _"No I don't, I find this entertaining. Especially because Elota is being significantly difficult for no reason. All her arguments are weak. Percy is just a toddler, and we had him since day one. The fact that there are others like her in the hunt is well…"_

 _"Stupid?" Floria suggested. She received a nod._

 _"Yes their hatred is just stupid. It makes no sense."_

 _It only took a few minutes before both girls were nose to nose yelling in each other's face. Zoe manipulated the mist to avert the eyes of any nosy mortals. And after a while Zoe had finally had enough._

 _"STOP!" This froze both girls and caused them to turn towards their Lieutenant. "We need to stop and get our supplies. Now let's go, we wasted too much time already."_

 _Nobody noticed their little companion entering the grocery store across the street._

 _And with that everyone trudged off to a specific Rite-Aid. If anyone doesn't know, Rite-Aid was actually founded by Asclepius, Apollo's godly child._

 _It took them about an hour to get everything and set up in their backpacks. After a minor glare, which was a good as it gets for a goodbye, they left Asclepius._

 _"Well next stop is camp, how did you like coming to the city Percy!" The merry daughter of Demeter loved Percy as much as the others, but was confused when she didn't get a response._

 _She looked around but frowned when she couldn't find him, "Um guys, Percy isn't here."_

 _"What do you mean? He's right-" Zoe froze when she didn't see Percy where her subconscious placed him. She didn't say a word as she sprinted back to the Rite-Aid they left, thinking they left him with Apollo's son._

 _Meanwhile Phoebe was screaming his name while Floria watched out in case she saw him walking._

 _"Percy! This isn't funny come here now! PERCY! PERCY!"_

 _"Stop yelling!" Elota complained, "I say good riddance, now let's just hurry up and get back before milady gets worried. We'll all forget about him soon enough."_

 _She obviously didn't care about Percy's disappearance but Phoebe was having none of it. "This is where I draw the line. This isn't just some little boy, this is Artemis' son. Blood and everything. And if you think we can just hurry up and get back, what do you think Artemis will do to us once we tell her we LOST HER CHILD!"_

 _At this point she had grabbed Elota by the shirt and lifted her in the air, even though she was only shorter that the daughter of Ares by a few inches. "I'll tell you what, she'll have our heads."_

 _The daughter of Nike didn't even get a chance to respond as Zoe was running back to them with a frantic look in her eye. "He wasn't with Asclepius. Phoebe you have to track him down. Here this is the same cloth Artemis stitches into his shirts."_

 _Once Phoebe let down the huntress she grabbed the cloth from Zoe and got a whiff of its aura. It took a few minutes, because of all the mortals walking around, but she got a faint trail. Luckily it followed back to Elota and Phoebe's first altercation._

 _"It's really strong here but I can't figure where it goes. It's like he just disappeared off the face of the Earth."_

 _"How is that possible?" Zoe questioned._

 _Phoebe shrugged but continued searching. While Zoe was watching her intently and Elota gazing at clothes through the window, Floria was still looking around trying to guess where Percy has gone._

 _A light bulb switched on in her head when she saw the grocery store. She pointed to it and said, "Do you think he could've went here? Maybe he got really hungry."_

 _The two elder huntresses looked across the street, "Phoebe do you sense anything?"_

 _The Tracker of the Hunt studied the sidewalk in front of the store and soon her eyes widened, "Yeah it's actually very strong there. Good eyes Floria."_

 _Floria smiled triumphantly while Zoe's face assumed a look as if she was getting ready to battle. "Alright everyone split up in the store and yell when you found him. It's not big so we can easily find him here. Elota stay with me."_

 _"What? Why can't I go look by myself?" Elota complained._

 _"Because you're not going to look anyways." Phoebe said._

 _And then everyone was off, praying to the gods that Percy wasn't kidnapped._

 _After 5 minutes Zoe was ready to kill someone. There wasn't a whole lot of store to check and she still couldn't find him. Granted she never entered an aisle and she whizzed past all of the them._

 _She decided to take it slow from the freezer section when she heard Floria call out, "FOUND HIM!"_

 _Zoe rushed past other paying shoppers and found herself in the cereal aisle. There was the offender, sitting in front of three opened boxes of Lucky Charms, and happily munching on the fourth. But it seemed that when Zoe finally reached him with Elota he just finished the box he was eating._

 _Floria, however, was frozen in shock. "Are my eyes seeing things, or did he just eat 4 boxes of my mother's cereal right here in the store? It's ok if you tell me I'm seeing things, it's happened before."_

 _Zoe was unable to answer as she too was baffled that her younger brother sat in one area eating for the entirety of an hour. Percy laid back on the rack and grabbed another box with a satisfied smile on his face. He then noticed Zoe, Elota, and Floria and was right about to wave. He was, in fact, before he was rudely interrupted._

 _"You do know you have to pay for all that."_

 _There stood before them the manager of the store. It was a male so Floria and Elota hid behind Zoe in a subtle manner. The Lieutenant was going to respond harshly before fingers were snapped in front of the manager's face, promptly conjuring the Mist._

 _"Actually that's already paid for. You can pick it up and throw it out now."_

 _From behind him stepped Phoebe. She was a big as man-hater as Zoe, but knew she had bigger problems to deal with than a male. She walked up and picked up Percy, "There you are squirt. What were you doing here all this time?"_

 _She spoke in a soft tone only used for Percy and easily was welcomed with a response. "I was eating that!"_

 _He pointed towards the cereal boxes and Phoebe took a look and said, "You were?"_

 _"Yup! But I was eating the one with the blue moon. It's called… Lucy… Arms."_

 _"Actually it's called Lucky Charms."_

 _Usually Percy hated being corrected, making him very frustrating to teach for Lauren, but hearing the right name to his new favorite treat only brought a light to his eyes._

 _"Can I have more Lucky Charms?"_

 _"Maybe for your birthday. But for now how about we focus on getting home and then we'll see."_

 _Phoebe looked towards the others and watched the tension visibly drain out of the faces of Zoe and Floria. At the Lieutenant's nod they made their way back._

 _Artemis didn't question them at all. But they had a little explaining to do when Percy was in tears because he couldn't have Lucky Charms for his 4th birthday._

* * *

Percy found Zoe sitting at the edge of the lake. Her boots were off and she was dipping her toes into the cool water. She had a content look on her face as she stared at her reflection in the lake.

Thinking about it, Percy realized she was always the most peaceful when around water. Whenever the Hunt had a break you can find her going for a swim. But that really wasn't anything special, anyone could just like the sea.

It was the longing look in her eye whenever she was around it. Like she has something but really can't truly use it. Like if your Grandpa gave you a old shotgun that uses bullets that aren't made anymore. You keep it to hold on to memory, but wish it could be more of use.

This was the second time Percy wished he had camera, but this time with a better purpose. Though a small part of him knew that no camera can truly capture everything in front of him.

He was going to leave but remembered she asked for him. She was probably waiting and had been waiting for a while so he took a step out of the forest he was hiding in and called out, "Zoe!"

It seemed as though she didn't hear him though, as she kept moving her feet in the water. In a melodic rhythm on she would truly know. When he called her again she broke out of her stupor and looked up.

She smiled when she saw her little brother and got up from the lake, put her shoes back on, and made her way back to him. As she walked up, Percy noticed the longing look in her was swapped for a mischievous one.

"So, I heard Artemis had to retrieve you for Apollo. Tell me, how did that go Perseus?"

Percy rolled his eyes at the use of his full name. She only did it when he was in trouble or when she knew he was in trouble with his mother. Helpful at sometimes, but not right now.

"Oh it was fine. Just proved to Uncle Apollo I'm not the chick magnet he wants me to be."

"And when milady arrived?"

"He threw up right there in the booth. Funniest thing ever."

"So you didn't get in any trouble?"

"No I didn't. Wait… why do you sound disappointed."

Percy caught the smirk on her face, but before he could acknowledged it her hands flew behind her back. Her face morphed into a more serious one.

"Close your eyes and hold out your hands."

"Look mom let me off so I would appreciate it- slightly mind you- if you wouldn't-"

"Shut up. I'm not going to chastise you or harm you, I'm giving you a birthday present. Your first from me ever and I would appreciate it if you would follow my directions."

Percy flinched at the stern tone in her voice and quickly did as he was instructed. He held his hands out for a moment, half anticipating something large to fall in his hands. He was way off, though, when a weight hit his hands. Though it was a very small weight.

Ok it was a pen, and Percy took a look at it and saw it was in fact a ballpoint pen.

"Um thanks Zoe. I um… really like it."

Zoe rolled her eyes, "Uncap the pen Perseus."

Again at the use of his full name, Percy became cautious thinking something was going to come out. But to his surprise, out came a sword. It was about 3 feet long, and double edged.

"Anaklusmos." He read. "Riptide for English. Zoë… this is awesome!" Percy was enraptured with the sword, already taking practice swings.

He already knew the history behind the sword. And that made a very strong hatred for Hercules grow inside the son of Artemis. Percy felt more than honored that Zoe trusts him with the cursed sword.

"I thought it would be a great birthday present." Zoe said, smiling at the excitement brewing in her little brother's eyes.

"Zoe this might be the single best gift I have ever gotten since ever."

"That sentence doesn't make sense Percy."

Percy ran it back through his head and realized he didn't make grammatical sense, "See that's why it's so great. I can't even speak proper English anymore."

"Can't be that great. You still won't shut up and you continue to run your mouth."

Percy just grinned at the daughter of Atlas and came up with a great idea. He pretended like he was experimenting with his sword but really he just cut a piece of Zoe's parka.

"Why you little! Percy come here you little… oh my gods you're so annoying!"

"You don't so sound threatening when you're smiling Zoe!" Percy called back, running from his eventual captor.

He was right though she was smiling, but there was no doubt that she would hurt Percy when she got to him. She was still the faster one, though he took the title of the strongest of the hunt, so it only took about 8 minutes until she was within arms reach of him.

She took a lunge at him, but Percy was expecting it and turned around last second to knock her hand away. Well… that's what he tried to do. Instead a gallon of water flew out of the lake and hit Zoe square on the head.

Percy felt like everything stopped around him. Like the world was slowly but surely enveloping him.

 _Stupid, Stupid, Stupid, Percy. I should've known not to play near the water. Now my secret is out._

"Uhh… Zoe? Are you… are you alright?"

When the water hit Zoe it only sent her to her bottom. But she could've cared less. She just witnessed her younger brother, a blood son of Artemis, use hydrokinesis. A skill that should've been available to him because of his birth father. But he held no more blood of the sea, but that of the moon.

"Percy," Zoe's voice was calm, but you could here the dangerous undertone. "I think you have a little explaining to do."

"Explain what?" He decided to play dumb.

"What you just did."

"Oh you mean cut your parka? Well first you gotta decide just how mean you want your prank to be. Initially I had the options to cut your sleeves, your boots, your-"

"Your hydrokinesis, Percy! Tell me how you have the ability or I'm contacting your mother."

"NO! Please don't tell her. She hates Poseidon so imagine what she'll do when she learns her son can do the same things her evil uncle does."

"Then stop beating around the bush and tell me! How is this possible, you should've lost your connection to the sea."

"I don't know how it happened. I just remember being really tired while I was taking a bath when I was 6. I must've fell asleep because I woke up at the bottom of the lake. Then I started realizing that I could literally feel the current of the water. I never put any time controlling the water though because it's too hard."

Zoe sat there, eyes boring into his head, and nodded slowly. "Why didn't you tell anyone?"

"Because you all hate Poseidon, so I thought you would hate me. Already a portion hates me and I didn't want any of you to hate me either."

"Percy we won't judge you because of your powers. We're all family." Zoe tried to convince him, but Percy became rigid and tense. This was obviously something that wouldn't be argued about.

"No I still want this to stay between us. But Zoe, what did you mean by connection to the sea."

He watched as Zoe's eyes darkened. "Do you remember my story before I became a hunter?"

"Yes."

"Well when I gave Hercules my sword. It held my immortal essence, or more importantly my connection to the sea. My mother was a sea goddess Percy, so I used to be able to control water as well. But even after I got my sword back and everything, it seems as my connection has been completely severed. I'm just surprised yours is still alive."

"Wait why? Is it bad? See I knew it, having this power is probably the worst thing to ever-"

"No I meant that the sea still flows through my blood but I have no connection. You have no blood of the sea and you hold a connection."

"But I don't want the stupid connection. I just want to be a hunter and stay with my sisters and mother."

"You will Percy." Zoe stood up and held her hands out for a hug, to which Percy accepted.

"Zoe I kind of need you to swear on the Styx you won't reveal this to my mom."

"I'm not swearing anything. I can promise but if something backfires, your mother needs to know about your powers. Also I suggest you try to train yourself."

Percy pulled back and showed a confused look. "How would I be able to do that?"

"The only advice I can give you is to make sure your breathing is under control. From there you need to teach yourself. I think it would be best to do it when you go on a solo hunt."

"Really? You think I should train my hydro… uh… hydrokittyness?"

"Hydrokinesis and yes I do. What good is it for you to have power if you cannot control it. Now that's enough talking, we need to hurry back before milady begins to worry."

Percy nodded and followed close behind Zoe as they trekked through the woods, returning to their campsite.

"Zoe can promise me you won't say anything? I know you said you would only promise, but I would feel better hearing come out of your mouth.

The Lieutenant sighed and turned around to look Percy in the eye. "I promise I will keep your secret on you power over water."

"Thanks Zoe." He smiled, hugged her and said "Race ya!"

Zoe watched his retreating form in silence. She wasn't going to follow, considering she was soaking wet.

 _Wait a minute. I'm not wet. He dried me without even knowing!_

Zoe eyes were wide for a moment, having the entire situation hit her again in her face. She was going to keep her promise but wished she didn't actually say anything.

After all, secrets never worked out for anyone else before.

* * *

 **A/N: And that's a wrap. Chapter 4 straight out of the oven, piping hot, straight to your computer, cell phone, etc.**

 **Just to let everyone know I HATE the fanfiction writing system for mobile. It's utterly useless. They update everything else but this. I don't even type with this app, I just use copy and paste. But then it changes everything and then I have to redo it and uhhhhhhhhh.**

 **Alrighty then, this actually wasn't the "motivational chapter" or the chapter that made me write this story. This was meant to be the beginning but when I added the Percy and Lucky Charms, well only so many things can happen.**

 **But overall I think this was a pretty productive chapter. Something that was a major difference was Percy. He rarely spoke during the last 3 chapters so now you have the man- err boy of the hour.**

 **Now if you mind I'm going to rant. Specifically about HOO and their retarded ships. First off is Percabeth, I already said it's dumb and makes no sense on why the would be together. Next is Jasper. Roman's are bred to be extremely loyal, so tell me why Jason a Praetor would leave his people for a daughter of Aphrodite. Umm... he wouldn't. He should've returned to Reyna. Frazel is fine, you can't really support them but you also can't hate them either. They're like a cute little middle school couple. And now Caleo... the worst move ever made by Riordan.**

 **Listen this is literally what their relationship is built off of; Leo falls on Island, Calypso helps rebuild ship, they fall in love.**

 **Man... at least Percy and Annabeth had 4 years of friendship to start off of.**

 **I think Rick gave in to the hype about Leo needing someone and paired him off with the first girl he could think of. He even knows it was stupid because he forcing Leo and Calypso to work with Apollo on the trials instead of Percy. Who by the way can't participate because his girlfriend wouldn't want him too. The same one who is helping her cousin with Norse gods. (This is why I really didn't like Annabeth)**

 **Their relationship is the worst in all of the Percy Jackson series to date. Period. Point. Blank.**

 **Anyways on a higher note, Chapter 5 is on the way. I'm not going to bother on the Constructive Criticism because I know no one will give it. If you liked my mini rant I can have longer ones on Percabeth and Jasper, you just need to let me know.**

 **Again thanks for even reading. Share to others, like it, add it to your library.**

 **You won't regret it.**


	5. Chapter 5

**Broken**

"Zeus," Artemis addressed, "You sent for me?"

Her voice held a questioning tone. She was busy before Hermes came and told her Zeus demanded her presence. Percy had just went on a solo hunt for dinner, and she always preferred being at the camp in case he ever needed help. Like in case a pack of hellhounds appear and ambush him.

Now he was vulnerable to anything, and she couldn't flash down to help even if she wanted to. But that was what made the man-hating goddess uneasy. The moment her son went on a hunt she was demanded to be in her father's presence. Athena's cleverness came from someone and unfortunately it wasn't her mother Metis.

She was also angry because she was enjoying herself with her Hunt and son, and Zeus just ups and demands her presence. The King of the gods was never known for his amazing timing. And now here she was standing in the middle of the throne room waiting for said king.

Zeus, who was sitting with a haunted look on his face, stared deep into the eyes of his daughter. Almost like he was searching for the deepest, darkest secrets. It slightly unnerved Artemis with his clouded eyes, like a thundercloud patiently waiting to strike the Earth and its unsuspecting inhabitants.

"Artemis, you seem like you are unhappy." It wasn't a question but more like a statement, voice devoid of any emotion, he really looked like the embodiment of his domains.

"Yes I am. I was enjoying the down time with my Hunt before you so rudely interrupted me. If it was a target you would have me hunt why not tell Hermes so he can pass the message?"

"I need you because what I need can only come from you," Zeus grunted. "And do not forget who you are talking to Artemis."

"It is not like I am the only one who speaks to you this way. Does not my sister, Athena, or even your own wife, Hera, speaks to you in the same manner I did?"

"I have no time for your games Artemis!" Zeus slammed his fist onto his armrest, as it made contact a thunderclap echoed across the room. Electricity flowed off his throne, tracing the others until it eventually made its way towards the Throne Room doors. The doors closed with boom, making the maiden goddess jump.

Artemis didn't know what to think. Zeus was always known to get angry at the smallest, most miniscule things—part of her thinks that he's where Apollo had gotten his immaturity from—but this was something on another level.

" _Father,_ is everything alright? What troubles you?" Artemis asked gently.

It didn't seem to matter how soft she was because Zeus shot up on his feet. The overwhelming smell of ozone purified the air around her, suffocating her. And still she couldn't figure out exactly what happened and how she was tied into it.

"Something horrible has happened, something unspeakable. I never expected this to happen but it did. They always said I was too paranoid and look what happened."

Artemis watched as her father paces in front of his throne, rambling on to himself about how bad everything was. She tried to make sense of the situation but he was still so vague.

"Father," Artemis tried. "What is going on?"

Her voice seemed to snap him out of it, as he freezes and stands still. He turned to Artemis slowly. When they met eyes, Artemis began to feel her rare moments of fear. She has seen Zeus furious, like when mortals profess their love to Hera,—where he kills the offender and then cheats again—when Triton was born thinking he was going to be used against him, and recently when her wine-loving half-brother went after a nymph that was "off-limits".

"My symbol of power was stolen." Zeus' voice was still emotionless, which didn't set well with Artemis. Especially when his tone of voice wasn't in tune with the context of the sentence.

"Your symbol of power? You mean-"

"MY MASTER BOLT GIRL!" Zeus finally let his feelings surface, letting his divine form free. The entire throne room, aside from where Artemis was standing, was electrified.

When she looked around, she visibly saw electric currents flowing through the room. She couldn't hear anything as thunder smothered her eardrums. If it wasn't for her being a goddess, Artemis was sure she would've been dead, if she wouldn't fade from the sheer power alone.

Outside the Throne Room, Olympus was trembling. Zeus' voice alone made all nymphs hide, shops close, and gods and goddesses fleeing towards their temples. Even the Olympians, who all knew that Artemis was with Zeus, sought safety in their temples. Camp-Half Blood's day ended early, Chiron taking into account of the thunder and sending campers to their cabins immediately. Those who reside within the sea with Poseidon looked on in wonder as lightning danced above the waters, feeling extremely grateful they were the King of the seas than the King of the gods.

"Just Zeus having another temper tantrum. Nothing to worry about, my love." Poseidon soothed, trying to ease his wife's worries. He attempted to wrap his arms around her, but she pushed him off.

It would take more than Zeus destroying Earth for Amphitrite to overlook her husband's infidelity.

Artemis silently cursed herself at her ignorance, it would have to be this situation exactly for her father to be so infuriated. She lost any fear on the spot, and determination fueled through her. She easily comprehended the reason why she was called.

 _So he wants me to find it, and probably kill the thief who so foolishly dared to make a move against the gods._

"I'm assuming you want me to track down the bolt? Do you have any leads, or perhaps you know who stole it and want me to find the culprit?" Artemis asked, the moxie in her voice easily noticed.

So noticeable that the words processed through Zeus ears. Remembering why he summoned her—the reason being a stark contrast to what Artemis' thought—he forced down his anger, knowing two angry Olympians will be more disastrous than ever.

Olympus stopped shaking, the thunder slowly easy from constantly sounding to only a light drizzle. The sun shone again from behind the clouds. No dared leave their personal safe havens, in fear of Zeus striking out again.

The King of the gods took a deep breath, and the electric currents stopped circulating the Throne Room. Though the maiden goddess perceptive eyes could see the faint currents dancing along the floor. When he felt he reigned in his power enough, Zeus assumed his godly height and sat on his throne. Artemis could see the cracks on it, it wasn't because of the loss of his Master Bolt but because he was an overgrown baby.

"Actually yes," Zeus paused, looked his daughter in her eyes and continued. "I have clue on who could've possibly stolen it."

Artemis waved her hand forward gesturing for him to explain. Now Zeus was angry beyond all belief, but dull-witted he was not. _Ease into it_ he knew. _Straightforward won't help_ he remembered. _Slowly but firmly_ he printed into his mind.

"In my bedroom in my temple, there is a table that my wife and I place our symbols of power. Last night wasn't all that eventful; I handled problems on Olympus, went to the mortal world, and only got slightly drunk off of Dionysus' wine. Nothing I haven't done before, and I always returned to Olympus fine. As I should anyhow. I went to bed, I can't remember if Hera was there with me or not, and fell into a deep slumber."

Artemis was listening to every word intently, trying to see if there was a time window the thief could've struck.

She knew it wasn't a mortal, Zeus would've easily found it by himself. He also couldn't be attacked by any mortal either, he was still a god. No, it had to be someone from the Greek world, because if Zeus can't find it then that means that it is magically concealed. But nothing Zeus said raised a red flag.

"With all due respect Zeus, I don't see how you lost your bolt."

Zeus eyes glowed for a moment before he, again, calmed himself down. "It was not lost, it was _stolen._ And I wasn't finished. The sleep wasn't normal. You know when we gods sleep it is a state of resting. We have full control of it and it listens to our will. The sleep I experienced last night wasn't anything like that. I woke up and went for my bolt and alas it was gone."

"You think you were drugged?"

Artemis watched as Zeus' face adopted a thoughtful look before he pushed it away. It was almost like he wouldn't truly give it a possibility.

"Possibly, but what I want you to know is who I think the thief might be."

Zeus himself watched Artemis' eyes glowing with mirth and determination and slightly felt guilty for what he'll soon say.

"You do?! Tell me! I'll hunt him down and get back your Master Bolt."

"I feel it is someone you know actually. Someone who you see daily."

Artemis shot her father with a confused expression, "Are you implying my hunters have stolen your bolt. Impossible. They are always with me and none have a personal vendetta against you."

Taking another deep breath he steeled himself and said, "I think your son, Perseus, stole my symbol of power."

Zeus was looking above his daughter's head, waiting for her to snap. Instead he felt the air grow cold and when he finally looked down at Artemis, he received a stoic look.

The myths had it right, it was because of Hades stealing Persephone that led to Demeter bringing the four seasons. Autumn, because the time for Persephone to leave coming close—Winter, Persephone is gone to the Underworld, leaving Demeter to weep—Spring, Persephone returning bringing happiness to Demeter—Summer; Demeter, and Persephone enjoying themselves, but together as mother and daughter.

But while Demeter was the reason for Autumn and Winter, Artemis was the reason for why it was cold. Make no mistake, Apollo could always be blamed for why the temperature was sweltering during the day, but it is his twin that brings the blistering, glacial, bitter cold during the winter.

When she first dropped the temperature, the mortal world might as well of been hit by a freight train. No one was prepared, except her and her hunters, and millions died the first time. Olympus itself was hit the first time as well, and it was probably the only time nymphs hated the Moon goddess.

Let it be known that the first incident was caused because of the death of her first hunters. Her name was Diana. The very name Artemis chose when she turned Roman.

So imagine just how angry she was when Zeus accused her son—her only son—of _theft._

Olympus, Camp-Half Blood, and everywhere else felt the might of another Olympian. Unlike Zeus, no one was spared from the might of Artemis. And Zeus was confused on what to do, as Artemis masked just how angry she was. She just bore her silver eyes into his, lost of any feeling, just staring. Waiting, yearning, holding back any riposte in fear she does something idiotic.

The destructive cold fell down hard on Olympus and there were cries heard begging for it to stop. Zeus, thinking that something is happening, waves his hand opening the doors of the Throne Room. The wind hit his face hard and practically slammed him towards the back to his throne. All of the hair on his face frosted instantly, making him look like Santa from the mortal's myths.

"Artemis!" Zeus roared over the howling wind. He found out that he couldn't even move as freezing air held him place. "At least let me explain my reasoning."

The place where Artemis was standing was the only place, on Earth and Olympus, that was spared of maiden goddess' wrath. It took a minute, but she eventually caught his statement over the blustery gale. She relented and the cold ended at once, Artemis displaying just how much sovereignty she had over her powers. Which was plenty more than her royal father had.

"Speak," was all she said. Her eyes hardened, telling Zeus _if you're not careful I'll make you fade._ He normally would've waved it off, but his bolt was stolen leaving him vulnerable to gods just like his daughter.

It took a couple minutes but eventually Zeus regained his bearings, and briefly thought if she was a little too powerful.

"Listen," Zeus reasoned. "Just take a moment and think. There have to be some moments where Percy is out of your view."

"Of course. I pride myself on independence, and I teach it to Percy as well. At age ten, he's been going on solo hunts. That was two years ago."

"You see! There are moments where he escapes your line of sight." Artemis rolled her eyes.

"Of course. It is called a solo hunt for a reason Zeus."

"But that does not mean you have never hunted with him before does it?"

"You are still stating the obvious. I have a son who has partial control over my domains. I've even let him ride the moon chariot as a rite of passage. Obviously given my mastery over the hunt and wild, my son and I have hunted together."

"Then you know his tendencies?" Zeus inquired, he was stroking his beard as if he already caught her in a trap, which made Artemis scrunch her eyebrows.

"That does happen when we hunt. I get a feel for what he does. Though he hunts just like I do, so there is little reason to study him."

"Then can you honestly say that given the time he spends on his hunts, he returns with sensible game?"

"He does..."

"Uh-huh."

"When he comes back he..."

"Yes?"

"He always comes back with..." Artemis was lost for words.

"Exactly," Zeus concluded. "His time and production do not add up. He has been utilizing his solo hunts for something else than hunting hmm… let us say stealing. Something along the lines of my symbol of power."

Artemis was speechless. Her mouth moved up and down, but there was no sound. She wanted to defend her child but as she went through her photographic memory, thanks to being a goddess, she saw that her father was right. His results after the solo hunt, while more than enough to satisfy the Hunt, weren't reasonable.

"Bring me him, Artemis. So that I may judge him."

Artemis was broken out her thoughts at his words. "But father,-"

"I don't want any resistance from you. Lest all of Olympus know of your failure of raising a son, who no matter how you raised him was still evil. Bring me him, Artemis. And no one will know the truth."

Artemis fidgeted in her spot for a moment before she hanged her head. She flashed out with a dim light leaving a smirking Zeus, who was confident he found the perpetrator.

 _I'll get answers from that boy and kill him where he stands. It matters not who the parent is. He'll pay for thinking he can steal my bolt._

Zeus let out a sigh and shook his head. _This'll be a lesson on why demigods need to have small as contact as possible from their godly parent._

He stood up and clapped his hands, making a special thunder boom across the sky. This was his substitute for summoning a meeting, before he shot his bolt to the sky. He returned to sitting on his throne, feeling the entire council flash in. They looked at him expectantly, some had a little fear, but he said nothing.

He just waited, to break down the boy who dared to test him.

* * *

Percy was proud of himself.

He just had another successful hunt. Just like always he hunted a deer, snared half a dozen rabbits, and caught three squirrels. It was always only one deer because that was all he could carry on his shoulders. The rabbits and squirrels barely affected him, no matter the number, and got as much as possible before his time window was closed.

He was always gone for four hours, leaving at 3 P.M. and returning to his family by 7 P.M. And though he was gone so long he only hunted for three hours. The last hour was dedicated to his training on the mastery of water.

Percy found that he loved water just as much as hunting. For stamina training they didn't always run, but sometimes the swan. When the preformed the latter, Zoe and Percy were always the fastest. Artemis knew why Zoe was so in tune with water, but just concluded why Percy was so fast was because he loves competition. Just like his mother.

After Zoe found out about his hydrokinesis, she kept her promise and didn't tell a soul. There were times when she would accompany him on a hunt and she then taught him how to control his breathing. He was always a quick learner, and easily got it down pack.

Percy was raised with discipline, strict rules and tough love. So when he first started to control water, he was quickly frustrated with how uncontrollable it was. He wanted it to follow him wherever he told it, and it wouldn't listen.

Eventually Percy got the hang of it, and when he did his progress transcended. He could lift small balls of water and toss them in the air, and then catch it while the ball keep its integrity. He learned how to make shapes out of the water as well, he loved making archers or moons or anything symbolizing the hunt or his mother. He could never control the tides though, but to his defense they are never near a beach.

Today he succeeded in lifting all the water out of a river and walking under it to cross the other side. He did over twenty times and pumped his fist in the air when he got it.

So now he's bobbing his head up and down listening to the iPod Apollo gave him for his tenth birthday. It had any song and instantly updated when an Artist posts a song. Percy at first didn't like it, especially when he encountered a song so disgusting he almost threw up. But then he found a setting called Mood, when he clicked it there were songs that literally sang words that depicted how he was feeling at that time.

He took it with him on every solo hunt and grew to love it. His mother didn't think all that much on it, but accepted that Percy liked it because he was born so close to the 21st century. Where basically technology was slowly taking over the world as a whole.

Not that the gods are worried, they have a plan for that.

When Percy finally made it back the hunters we're lying about, doing whatever they felt. Some were at the fire talking, some sharpening arrowheads, and others were probably in their tents doing something. Phoebe was the first one who caught him, as she should considering she is the cook.

"Percy!" Phoebe called, finally reaching him. "You're finally back. How was the hunt?" She took a look around and saw the game tied around him. "I'm guessing we're eating good tonight?"

Percy took off his earbuds and unwrapped the deer around him and handed it to her. "Yeah, it was good. Always like hunting here anyway. The animals are fatter here than anywhere."

He followed the daughter of Ares into the cooking tent and dropped off the rabbits and squirrels, who were all tied together. Dead of course. He momentarily watched Phoebe cut open the deer like a crazed animal before asking, "Hey, do you know where Zoe is?"

She didn't hear him as she laid waste to the dead carcass. Using her knife with the utmost precision that Percy slightly felt bad for the deer. _I've been on that side of the knife before._

He called her again and she still didn't hear head him. It was the third time when she lifted her head and said, "She should be outside her tent. Didn't you see her? Oh, and can I use your iPod?"

He shook his head, said his thanks, left his iPod, and left to find Zoe. Just where Phoebe said, Zoe was right outside her tent, leaning on the support beam, and sharpening her knife. He quickly said hello to any hunters he passed… well those he knew what say hello back.

"Hey Zoe!" Percy greeted.

She looked up at his voice and smiled at him before attaining a small frown. "Percy where were you? Didn't you hear the thunderstorm or the small blizzard."

He shrugged, "I didn't pay it any attention. I kinda thought it was normal."

"Thunder followed by a blizzard, you thought that was normal? Both occurrences lasted only minutes, and didn't it seem odd that there was a frosty gust blowing in the middle of May?"

"I umm...well...when you put it like that." Percy gave a sheepish smile and scratched the back of his head. Which made Zoe shake her head and sigh, before a small smile graced her Persian like features.

"When you display wits like that I would begin to question your teacher. But I would never blame Lauren for a disaster like yourself."

Percy's mouth hung open for a second before he gave a small glare. He was going to hit her with the meanest come back in all of history but suddenly there was a flash in the camp.

Everyone closed their eyes, knowing their mistress was coming back from Olympus. Everyone except Percy. It was a characteristic that proved he would so enter godhood, the fact that he could look at a god's divine form.

When the flash died down most of the hunters, except Zoe, Percy, and Phoebe—who was still cooking—and bombarded the maiden goddess with questions.

"Milady how was your visit?"

"Why did the weather change so much?"

"Was there a fight up on Olympus?"

She held up her hand and the questions stopped. She surveyed the crowd and looked around, noticing how she couldn't find her son.

 _I can't believe I have been so blind. Yet another male who has shamed my name and the Hunt._

She took a closer look and saw Zoe and Percy at the back looking at her expectantly. It took a minute for it to process that they were waiting for her to answer the hunter's questions. She had no time for games though.

"Perseus," Artemis announced. "Pack your things you're coming with me."

She took account of the alarmed look on his face. "Why? I mean yes I'll go but what did I do?"

He had zero clue about why he was going. Obviously she was taking him back to Olympus, but something had to happen with all those atmospheric changes. Artemis took a deep breath and her eyes hardened like ice.

"Zeus' Master Bolt has been stolen."

"Oh ok. So he wants me to find it?" Percy asked. The pure innocence of his voice went ran right by Artemis.

"No. According to some evidence that has been found we know who probably stole it."

"Really who?"

"You."

All eyes widened and everyone turned towards Percy. Some looked at him disbelievingly, while others, Elota, narrowed her eyes.

"I knew it! I knew he was bad the moment he came here! And now what? We raised him and he's still an evil male!" Elota exclaimed.

"W-What? N-no I didn't steal anything." Percy stuttered. He was in shock, how could anyone believe he stole the King of the gods' symbol of power. What will it profit him?

"Milady, take a look at his body language," Lauren pointed out. "That isn't the body language of someone who was caught. Please milady, why would Percy steal Zeus' bolt?"

"Yeah mom, why would I want to steal it." Percy pleaded.

"Why I do not know. But the fact that you did is very clear. Tell me Perseus what do you do when you go out for solo hunts."

"I hunt food so that we all can eat dinner at night."

"Yes that is true and what you bring easily satisfies the hunt. But you hunt just like me and what you bring just isn't reasonable. At four hours you would have brought another dear, maybe a full dozen rabbits instead of a half. The game you bring only makes sense if you were to hunt for a three hours. What have you been doing for the fourth?"

Percy looked like a deer caught in headlights. He knew what he had to say but wouldn't say it. He felt himself move a step forward and looked back towards Zoe, who nudged him. Her eyes were easily readable for him.

 _Tell her about your powers or you will die._

He tensed up, obviously all he needed was to tell the truth. But every time his mouth opened he remembered how furious his mother was with Poseidon. How was he supposed to just sit here and say that he controls the same element of the man she hates more than anything.

It was either tell about your secret or face whatever punishment head-on. Time wasn't on Percy's side and Artemis grew angrier. A small part of her hoped against hope that this was all a lie, but apparently, it wasn't.

"Let's just get this over with quickly. Go and gather your things _now_. We leave for Olympus in five minutes. That's all the time you have." Artemis commanded.

He just stood there, eyes growing wide when he realized that it was over for him. He closed his eyes and turned towards the direction of his tent. He could feel everyone watching him, he could sense just how some of the hunters wanted to stop him. He hoped that no one did, he wanted to keep a secret he pays the consequence.

When he entered the tent, he took a quick minute to look at everything around the tent. There were multiple animal skins hanged up on the walls. It wasn't all that decorated beyond the skins but it kept Percy content. There were however some pictures of him and the hunt, all taken by Apollo. There were also some that came from his mother's memories, some minor deal with Iris, goddess of rainbows.

It was one picture, when he was eight, that caught his eye. He was holding a bow, that still was a little too big for him, but he was smiling widely towards his mother who also had a grin on her face. He then remembered the history behind the image, he had just hit a bullseye from sixty yards away. It was a miracle in itself, because he couldn't even hit the target the first few times.

It was then the entire situation hit him right in the face. His mother was going to deliver him to her grandfather to be killed. She had to know that Percy didn't steal the bolt, but just kept a secret.

 _But then why is she giving me to Zeus?_

Percy looked around one more time and made an executive decision. He grabbed his backpack that hanged off the side of his dresser and filled it with whatever he could get his hands on. T-shirts, jeans, hoodies, canteen of nectar, and a zipper bag of ambrosia. He was hardly worried about food, as hunting and setting up a fire was second nature.

He turned towards the entrance of his tent. Another similarity with his mother was that they both take calculated risks. He didn't know the exact statistics of the situation but he knew he had about two minutes and fifteen seconds before his mother would send someone.

When he deduced that he went underneath the back of the tent, and broke out in all-out sprint. He was one of the fastest in the Hunt, easily top five, and his stamina was no joke. He had until an hour before he would be seriously fatigued and he could cross about two states in that time.

And that's exactly what he did. He ran as fast as his feet and spirit would take him. He didn't stop for nothing. He saw the bright lights of the cities as he flew past them, and his arms were gifted with minor cuts from branches he bulldozed past. He remembered seeing a greeting sign to some state, but he just kept running until finally stopping.

He laid back on a tree to stop and take a breath. Percy pried himself in never shedding a tear, Phoebe always told him that even when he was a baby she rarely heard him cry. Even when he took a hellhound bite for Crystal, a legacy of Apollo, he didn't notice until someone pointed it out. And even then he waved it off as minor… before passing out.

But now he felt his eyes grow heavy. The emotions flying around his head were overwhelming him. He didn't know what to do, so he slid down to the base of the tree. Putting his face in his hands, Percy began taking deep breaths.

But then he heard it, the sounds of footsteps. He tried to listen to see just how many were coming, but he was too paranoid to focus much. He stood back up and ran to the nearby cities. He didn't too fast though, and was able to see an oddly shaped building with a door wide open. He ran in with vigor in an attempt to hide from the hunters.

Except he never realized that the footsteps were actually raindrops.

He walked in and saw a large group of people seated in multiple rows of seats. In the front were people clad in choir robes. Realizing this was a church, he sat in the back in effort to not stand out. He took off his parka and put on a t-shirt and hoodie, flipping the hood on. He started to pay attention, knowing that these people were of different faith and the curiosity got the best of him concerning their music.

The music started softly with the leader singing. Already the mood of the song had Percy's eyes stinging, and his subconscious wondered just what genre of music this was.

 _What do you do?  
When the life you've planned is shattered.  
What do you say?  
When the one you love is gone.  
How do you live?  
Seems like no hope for tomorrow.  
Pain doesn't care where you live or who you are._

The few words that were spoken had Percy shaking in his seat. The words, just like from his iPod, were way too accurate. And Percy knew that his reason for stumbling across the Christian church was no mistake, but fate. But the shaking wouldn't stop, because memories of his mom and sisters were swimming all throughout his head.

As the choir progressed to the first chorus of the song, slender arms wrapped around his torso and pulled him. He didn't—couldn't—look up and when he felt the stranger's body, he noticed it was female. Percy also felt a little warmer and his shaking slowed down a bit.

"Is he okay sweetheart?" He heard a female's voice, maybe an older woman, but it wasn't the one holding him. But the concern so evident in her voice caught Percy off guard. He couldn't understand why she cared so much, when she didn't even know him. Then again the same could be said to his human pillow.

He kept his head down still and leaned into the chest of the woman as she spoke back, "He'll be just fine, thank you. I just think the words of the beautiful song that's being sung is getting to him emotionally. I can help though, but I appreciate your concern."

Now her words held the opposite effect of the song, and Percy stopped shaking altogether. His enhanced hearing listened to the song and he heard the older woman walk back, most likely to her seat.

"Look at me, Perseus."

Really getting annoyed at the power of speech today, Percy shot up. There was only one way his name could've been know, and the reason had Percy itching to the hunting knife kept securely in his pants. He expected to fight, to battle, to have his last moments of his short life go down with honor. But when he saw the ever-calming face of Hestia, he instead fell back in disbelief.

"Lady Hestia," Percy sputtered. "What are you… um… what are you doing here?"

"I believe I can ask the same of you." She responded smoothly.

He was spitting out random answers for about thirty seconds until he gave up, knowing that of all the goddesses the hearth goddess was the wrong one to lie to. So he instead refocused on the singing group, who were entering the second verse. "If I'm thinking correctly, you already know why I'm here."

 _Who do you call?  
When no one has the answer.  
Where do you go?  
When the place you've know is no more.  
When will they stop?  
All the tears they just keep falling.  
Pain doesn't care where you live or who you are._

"Why does this song, these words… no. Why does everything in this, this church, feel so different?" Percy whispered, tears finally breaking free and cascading down his cheeks. The benches receiving their own waterfall, as the tears flooded everything under his face.

"It's because there is much love here. And when I say that, don't confuse me with Aphrodite's version of love, but with familial love. Though we are Hellenistic, there is much to admire of the Christian religion. Even though most of the people in here have no direct ties with one another, they call each other brothers and sisters. One big happy family."

"But why does has this song affected me so much? Several times they say He referring to their God, but here I am crying while everyone is standing, clapping, and rejoicing."

"Well the reason for that is if you take the religion out of their music, you find inspirational words. Their faith is so strong, even when they cannot see their God, they believe in him so. Here listen to these next words."

 _Hold on and wait just a little while.  
He'll bring a song of strength in the midnight.  
Touch our lives with Your loving Hand.  
Hold on, we'll hold on_.

"Do you hear it?" Hestia questioned. "If you take out the religion what message do you get out of this song?"

Percy listened carefully. There was no problem remembering the words because they were constantly repeated. From learning from his sunny uncle, Percy easily guessed that this was the Vamp.

He paid close attention for a few more repeats and then turned back to his great-aunt. "I think that the message is to keep going even if you're feeling weak or if the future looks bleak."

Hestia gave a small smile and nodded. She held out her hand, which was stared at in confusion.

"Lady Hestia, if it's all the same to you. I really don't want to return to my mother or Zeus. If you force me I will retaliate as well."

"Perseus, I am in no way proud of what my brother nor my niece have done. He blamed you because he was already paranoid about you, and Artemis fell right into his trap. Though she is very responsible for her actions as well. Consequences will be given soon enough, but I have a plan to keep you away from your mother. Should you accept of course."

Percy stared up into Hestia's fiery eyes, and for the first time, he saw determination laced through them. He had to be a fool to not follow her, so he grabbed and put on his backpack, and nodded his head.

"Good. Let's go outside first, to not disturb the congregation."

She latched onto the son of Artemis' hand and began to pull him out. She was in her mid-twenties form and it was fairly easy, but Percy remembered to know every inch of his surroundings before taking the next step.

"What about the hunters that are searching for me. I know I heard some."

She kept walking, in a hurry to leave. She had every right to, she was close to missing her chance. "I watched everything from the point your mother flashed down to the camp. Those hunters your heard were in fact raindrops against the grass."

Percy had more questions but it was too late, as the entered the street outside the church and Hestia fire-flashed them out posthaste.

When the flames died down, Percy saw that he was in a castle/mansion. But everything reminded him of death; the ceilings and floors lined with skulls, walls made of pure black onyx, and the man sitting on a throne of bones. He himself wore robes that Percy swore held screaming ghosts, but the creepy part was Percy only heard them when he looked directly at them. When he found that out he diverted one hundred percent of his attention to the floor.

The man, however, spoke with a gravelly voice, one that made Percy's hands fly towards his face to wipe off any lingering tears.

"Hestia, to what do I owe this pleasure. I certainly was not expecting your company."

Hestia gave a sigh of relief, they had made it. And though the hearth goddess felt something going on in Olympus, it didn't matter at the moment. Because the first part of her plan was complete. Hearing her brother's voice confirmed that, and she turned to the man in the throne with a small smile and nod of respect.

"Brother."

* * *

Zeus' impatience was slowly getting the better of him. It wasn't supposed to be this long. He expected his daughter to have a slight internal battle with sending her son to his death, but defying orders were not in this skill set of Artemis.

"Where is she?" Zeus growled, looking pointedly towards the vacant goddess' throne.

"Hey, um, father? Do you want me to get her?" Hermes asked. All other Olympians were present. They were all a little miffed at having to sit there and wait for Artemis, but after a threatening thunderclap, all Olympians found themselves toying with their own devices.

"No. She has a specific task that she will complete alone. It shouldn't be a minute longer."

His words proved true as Artemis flashed into the Throne Room. But without the child.

"Artemis,"Zeus' voice was threateningly low, making some of the gods gulp. "Where is the boy?"

The goddess in question looked like she wanted to be anywhere but the Throne Room. "I went to the camp and found my son speaking with my Lieutenant. I interrogated him and he failed miserably. I told him to pack his bags because he was to leave for Olympus. He went inside but never came out. Later my Lieutenant announced he was gone."

Zeus' face went comically red, and his throne once more glowed with electricity. "What do you mean he never came out?! You lost him!"

The thunder show may have scared her before, but Artemis could care less. She was worried about herself, and that meant finding the boy she raised that disgraced her. "A group of hunters has already begun searching for him. He may be the most athletic person in the camp and my son but he will eventually be caught."

Athena was confused, and not knowing was something that infuriated her. "Wait! What is going on? What is the matter with Perseus?"

"Yes, for once I actually agree with my bastard step-daughter." Hera interrupted, ignoring the glare from the wisdom goddess. "First the massive expulsion of power from the both of you, then an emergency meeting, and now something about catching Percy. Husband, you must explain."

Zeus rolled his eyes, not seeing how any of this would help, but decided to go along with it. "Fine, as we all know my symbol of power has been stolen." He received all nods. "Well I have suspected and proven that Percy is the thief."

"WHAT?!" Apollo jumped to his feet wide-eyed. "Percy would never do that, and I would know. He is my nephew. And anyways what would it profit him to steal. He's living with his immortal parent and many people care for him."

Artemis cut him off, "It does not matter. Every time he hunts alone he does something for an hour by himself, that no one knows."

"Well maybe he was just discovering himself. You know finally realizing what that thing inside his pants can do."

Artemis threw him a frosty glare and was going to shut him up with her bow but Hera stopped them.

"Enough! Now first things first, Zeus. If you actually took the time to look at the table from where you Master Bolt was stolen from, you would've recognized the high concentration of magic being used. Something no demigod has, including Perseus, but that an Olympian or a major god has."

The entire Throne Room went silent, even the unattended hearth was silent. Zeus, like always only processed one thing. "You are telling me Hecate, the _Titan_ goddess of magic stole my bolt!"

"No father," Hermes piped up. "If Hecate did it you wouldn't even know she was involved. She's too skilled. It would have to be a major god."

Zeus nodded his head and began muttering about who could've stolen it. He started a conversation among the gods on whom they thought, totally disregarding the fact he just ran away his grandson.

But Artemis didn't forget, in fact, she was shocked still the very moment Hera finished her mini speech. She went motionless just staring off into space before her face scrunched up in rage. "Are you telling me that everything was just an entire mistake."

Everyone snapped their heads towards the glowing goddess. She didn't just speak out loud but also in their heads, making sure each and every one heard her. Zeus wasn't pleased in the least, and felt annoyed the Artemis disrupted their meaningful conversation. Meaningful because it dealt with is bolt.

"What are you getting at girl?" Zeus demanded.

"Did I just LOSE MY SON! Did I just lose him because you wanted to MAKE A MISTAKE!"

The anger that leaked out of her voice made Zeus give her his undivided attention. But it was too late there was nothing stopping her. With a yell at a volume Zeus could only hope to match, all of Olympus shook and was flooded with moonlight.

It lasted for only a few seconds but it felt like hours. And after the shaking stopped and the light faded, Artemis was no longer there. But all of Olympus we're attacked by raging winds of below 0 degrees Celsius.

"I think I'm going to return to my forge now," Hephaestus announced, and then flashed away.

The other gods followed after him. One by one they muttered something and flashed out until only the King and Queen remained. But she too was getting ready to return to her shared temple with Zeus.

"Congratulations Husband, you have just broken the strongest mother-son relationship I have ever felt in millennia."

* * *

 **A/N: Here it is. The fabled chapter 5. The single chapter that influenced this entire story. It came out way better that I had expected and I'm pretty proud of it. To be more specific it's was the scene where Artemis was going to give up Percy and Hestia takes Percy to ***************(SPOILERS!).**

 **Anyways I appreciate all the support yet again. We have finally cracked 100 favorites. I'm super ecstatic because it was done with basically only 4 chapters. I have no clue how many chapters this story will take. Well over 20 I'm sure, but I doubt it will pass 30.**

 **For the future I'm thinking of having major story, short story, major story. Because a problem with many fanfictions have a ship in mind but the story stops after 10 chapters because they realized that the story has zero direction. But that's not why I'm downing it, I'm saying some stories need to be fluffy short stories that make you feel good, while others keep you asking for more. I think if I follow this pattern I'll be able to stay on track.**

 **Now concerning the poll, Reyna is surprisingly winning. Everyone has been saying Piper in the reviews and I understand that everyone can't reach the poll. So to keep it fair I'll add in review votes. That means even though Reyna is up by 2, she's actually down by about 15. If you place a review vote it has to be Reyna or Piper.**

 **Constructive criticism is always helpful, and I think I'm finished with this author's note.**

 **Again thanks for even reading. Share to others, like it, add it to your library.**

 **You won't regret it.**


	6. Chapter 6

**Alive**

To say Hades was surprised was an understatement.

Since the moment he was cut from the Olympian council he was alone. No one would ever visit him. He was confined into the Underworld, but yet he welcomed it. It was his domain, where he was at his strongest, where his word was law. It wasn't as though he truly had no one, his wife was always someone he could confide to. But it did take some years, since she had to get over the fact she was stuck in the Underworld.

In time, she did eventually forgive him, and slowly found herself loving him. It is evident on how much she cares for her husband as she was known to kill Hades' demigod children. She also had grown so accustomed to the Underworld that she actually stayed longer and arrived earlier. Whenever mortals experienced rainy days in the summer, it was because Demeter had learned her precious daughter went to visit her bastard brother, when she isn't even due for two seasons.

Demeter had none of it, and demanded that her daughter stayed above the Underworld when she had the chance, and to stop visiting Hades. The goddess of the grain couldn't fathom why Persephone would rather spend time with dead souls than with blooming flowers.

Flowers bloom to life and man eventually meets death. She organizes crops while he organizes souls. Demeter constructs beautiful, jaw-dropping gardens, and Hades carries out gruesome, appalling, tortures to evil spirits. Some are even his own children like Hitler. And even with all of this knowledge Persephone, who was originally named Kore, wants to spend time with the horrifying torturer then the glorifying gardener.

Persephone herself got tired of the constant banter between her husband and mother on the Winter Solstice. She asked Hades to give her mother a guest throne to quiet her. The Queen of the Underworld was met with heavy resistance, but after a little persuasion a minor throne was placed in the house of Hades. And Demeter gained clearance to go into the Underworld with her beloved daughter.

Hestia was the only other goddess allowed in the land of the dead, but it wasn't surprising. There weren't many places that the eldest child of Kronos wasn't allowed. Being the most peaceful goddess of all of the Greek world had it's perks.

The hearth goddess visited once a month, and it was greatly appreciated by Hades. There was never anything important to talk about, but the conversation was crucial. Hestia knows that her family were slowly splitting at the seams, so she tries to mend the problem by staying close to her brothers and sisters. It hasn't exactly improved the family's matters, but it left it stagnant.

Today's visit was, however, unusual. Hades remembered that his older sister had already came down two weeks ago, during the first week of May. That conversation was actually meaningful, as both elder gods felt a huge change arriving. They concluded that it had something to do with the Great Prophecy, but it didn't make anyone feel better.

And now here she was once again. Also she wasn't alone, as there was a young boy. Hades guessed he was about twelve years old, yet he held gave off a strong aura of his maiden niece, Artemis.

 _Does not Artemis hunt with her body aged to that of a twelve year old?_ Hades thought, studying the boy. _Maybe Zeus has been fed up with her male killings. But why would Hestia bring her to me?_

"Brother." Hestia once more called out, bringing the god back to the present. He cleared all of his thoughts and focused on the visitors.

"Hestia, you are here again. Did we not speak already this month? And look at this, you have brought someone to tag along with you." Hades' tone was monotonous, leaving no room for jokes.

"I have a problem… that I feel you would be best to fix."

This caused his eyebrow to raise, "Not that I do not want to help you, dear sister. But what problem am I to fix?"

He watched as Hestia turn to the boy and run her hands through the boy's raven hair. Hades would've noticed the auburn tips but Hestia spoke again, "Zeus' paranoia I'm afraid. His bolt has been stolen, just like your helm, and has accused this boy of pilfering it."

This garnered the Lord of the Dead's attention. He stepped off his throne and made his way to Hestia. Percy could feel the air around him get drier, colder, and felt a strong longing for water.

 _Water. The same thing that brought me here._

"And tell me, why is the boy so special? There must have some reason for him to be accused, and for you to bring him to me. Who is he, that you send him to find protection through me?"

"His name is Percy Jackson," She turned to the boy whose hair was being touched by her and saw his head down. "Look at him Percy."

Percy didn't want to listen to her, because Hades was honestly terrifying. When Hades was approaching he wanted to run, but quickly became conscious of the fact that the only place to run was to the land of the dead.

He gradually looked up and locked eyes with the unanimated eyes of Hades. The minute it happened Percy felt everything inside his body shake. It was like Hades was examining him like a surgeon, but not just his physical body but his soul as well. Percy couldn't read anything about him; not his body language, or eyes, or anything. It was like looking at a brick wall. And when Hades stopped focusing on him and smiled a dark smile, Percy flinched back towards Hestia.

"Is this the boy Artemis stole from Poseidon?" Hades turned to his sister, letting a small emotion out with a wild look in his eye.

He knew all about Percy. Hestia could never stop talking about him. She went on and on about how strong he was, his resemblance to his mother, and even his recent achievements. But Hades could care less, he only liked hearing about how he was originally a son of Poseidon. He asked Hestia after every monthly meeting if Artemis snapped on the sea god.

He was honestly happy to meet the Percy, and gave his mother a little credit. Taking Poseidon's spawn and turning him into your own was exceptionally more profitable than outright killing them. Hades even looked over the fact that his two brothers both have broken their oath, even when they were the ones to form it.

But the joy that was so sporadic in Hades disappeared like a bat out of hell, especially when Hestia had a stern look that he hasn't seen in millennia.

"This is not a day of merrymaking brother. Percy, the boy I speak so highly of, was the one who has been judged guilty of stealing the bolt."

Hades nodded his head in understanding and turned back to his throne. When he sat down he asked the obvious question.

"Would you say I am too presumptuous for saying he did not steal it?"

Hestia shook her head, feeling slightly confident that her second part of her plan will work. "I would not. Percy is not the thief but has been caught in the death trap that is Zeus' paranoia."

"And you brought him here because you want me to be his new caretaker."

"Yes, that was my plan. But will you accept."

Hades gave off another smile that sent shivers down Percy's back. "Will I accept? You're asking me to take in the boy who Poseidon has lost all claim too. And considering just how much of a candidate he is as the Prophecy Child, I will have to train him. Do you know what that means Hestia?!"

Hestia internally rolled her eyes at her brother's enthusiasm, but played along to drive him along. "What does it mean Hades?" She asked in a mock curious tone.

"It means that the Savior of Olympus will be the son of the Goddess of Maidens, and Warrior of the Dead! And what's worse? He was born as a child of Poseidon!" Hades soon lost all reasonableness and began boisterously laughing.

This only served the purpose of completely unnerving Percy, as he reclaimed Hestia's hand and squeezed it. The House of Hades and the entire Underworld shook at the magnitude of Hades' laugh. Percy was confident that spirits everywhere were crying in anguish.

Hestia slightly frowned at the reactions Percy showed off. Fear was something Artemis instilled into him to never show, but the mere sight of Hades had the son of Artemis' knees shaking. To be fair, Percy had never seen a god that gave off such a gruesome feel.

Hades was laughing so hard he began slamming his fist into the armrest, not caring that he was the only one laughing. He calmed down eventually but had the same evil smile embellished onto his face. He looked as if he had created the perfect torture, and was waiting to unleash it to the next unfortunate soul.

He began to study Percy once again and had to admit, he looked a great deal like Artemis. The thought of the moon goddess made Hades' smile disperse and a frown was summoned.

"Hestia, you have always said that one day Zeus will need to be taught a lesson on humility. Yet Artemis will also be caught in the crossfire in this plan as well. Was she, excuse me, isn't she your favorite niece."

Hestia felt Percy tense up in her grip, and forced herself to take a deep breath. "Artemis may be my favorite niece, but she is in the wrong just as much as Zeus. Artemis is the most level-headed Olympian on the council, but she has moments of fatal pride just as much as anyone else."

"Don't they all?" Hades agreed. "I feel it is her independence that makes everyone forget that she is just as much as a daughter of Zeus than she is an Olympian. But it seems as if young Perseus has taken the brunt of her pride today though."

Percy mumbled something under his breath and silently hoped that no one heard him. Unfortunately for him, as Hades raised his eyebrow in confusion. "Did you say something? Speak up boy?"

He stood petrified, coming to terms with the fact he might just die because of defiance.

 _Fitting, considering where I am right now._

Percy raised his head unhurriedly, but this time it was he felt more intrepid than before. "I said my name isn't Perseus nor is it _boy_. My name is Percy Jackson."

He spoke in a confident tone, and it told many things. The most important was that he had came to terms with the fact that the Land of the Dead was going to be his new home for the time being.

Hestia gave off her first smile in a while. Her plan was a resounding success, but now she had to see how Hades will react to Percy's defiance. He is the executioner after death.

And right now it wasn't looking so good, as Hades face went as emotionless as a stone. "Well then come Percy, so you can accept your new life."

Percy slipped out of his great-aunt's grasp and marched towards Hades. When he reached him, Percy bowed his head in respect to the Lord of the Dead, and waited for Hades to speak.

Hades instead whipped his hand forward and planted two fingers onto Percy's forehead. The tri-blood's entire body was cloaked with shadows, covering over his body like an exoskeleton.

Percy had never felt so emotionless in his entire life. He felt indifferent to anything happening around him. The anger he held for his mother for betraying him melted into ash, and then cultivated into animosity. A grudge.

When the shadows retreated to their master, Percy became physically aware of the changes around him. The obscurity of the darkness inside the House of Hades became transparent to Percy. He was also far more comfortable than when first entered the Underworld.

The screams of the souls being tortured in the Fields of Punishment were now heard, along with joyous cries of the ones in Elysium. It wasn't the gift of his super-strong senses, Percy noted. But one thing, Percy was certain of.

He never felt so dead in his entire life.

"What did you do to me?" Percy questioned.

"What have I done?" Hades was feigning innocence.

"I feel safe here, but I didn't when I first came here. Also now I can see better when before my sight was distorted."

"You are as intuitive as your mother, isn't he Hestia?" Hades mused, and received a smile of agreement from Hestia. "I have gave you my blessing, from now on you can enter my domain without any invitation. Also you can use the shadows from all across the world to travel anywhere."

Percy eyes widened and looked at his hands in awe. "So what does that mean, I can summon the dead and control spirits just like a demigod child of yours?"

"No, you cannot. You may be more god than mortal compared to other demigods, but you are still that. A demigod. Why would any half-blood have the endowment of two different gods?"

"Technically I'm not a half-blood."

"It matters not, you are not my child. So you cannot receive my full blessing. Besides why would you need it? Growing up with Artemis must have you accustomed to fighting without elements."

"Yeah, and the moment I try to learn how to fight with elements I become an enemy of Olympus."

Though it didn't seem possible, Percy single-handedly made the Underworld more dreary. Hestia, who was having none of it, walked up to Percy's side and placed her own two fingers on his forehead.

Percy couldn't but help but see the stark contrast of Hestia's blessing. Instead of shadows, his body was bathed with fire, but it didn't burn him. It was almost like it was cleansing his soul.

When Hestia pulled back, Percy felt significantly better. He looked around and shifted feet to try to feel out some physical difference, but found none. He turned to Hestia expectantly, "I'm guessing you blessed me like Hades did."

She nodded with a smile, "Yes I did, though I'm curious on what it will mean. I have never actually blessed anyone, with how little attention the mortals give me."

"And you blessed me as the first?"

"I might have forgot to take into account on what Hades' blessing signifies. He may have only gifted you with shadow-travel, but he inevitably made your spirit more glum. It would usually take time, just like his children will have to age to a certain year, but it instantly took effect with you."

Percy nodded his head with understanding, but was still slightly confused. "And your blessing…"

"Lighten your spirit in a sense. It cancelled out any gloomy thoughts you wouldn't usually have. You were always a high-spirited child and I would like to see it in the coming future. I know my blessing isn't anything special like wielding fire or summoning food, but you will see its necessity in due time."

He nodded his head and stepped forward to embrace Hestia. The hearth goddess was short in height compared to other goddesses, but was tall enough to where Percy could only wrap his arms around her midsection. She kissed his head of hair and returned the hug.

"Now I know today has been eventful. But Olympus isn't in the best condition due to your disappearance. I must return to make sure the Council does not ruin Olympus' integrity."

Percy nodded and took a few steps back to give her space to flash out. She did so with a brilliant orange blaze, it was extravagant but beautiful to watch. He turn towards to the throne of Hades but found it empty.

He wasn't scared however, as he turned around again with a raised eyebrow. There stood Hades, waiting at the entrance to his throne room.

"Um… Lord Hades?"

"We have to prepare. I cannot just have you reside here in the Underworld without taking care of a few precautions."

"But you couldn't wait after my heartwarming heart-to-heart with my wonderful aunt."

Hades felt his eyebrow twitch slightly. _Rebellious and sarcastic. This may be better than I thought._

"Use my blessing to travel from where you are standing to where I am. The faster you learn, the easier everything will be."

Percy didn't answer, but instead placed a look of concentration on his face. Hades almost laughed at the poor boy, the demigod wasn't doing anything but giving a show.

"In order to travel via the shadows, you must focus on them. Pull the shadows towards you by thinking it and think of where you want to travel."

Percy listened and followed directions, only to fall out of a shadow that belonged to the ceiling. That time the Lord of the Dead allowed a snort to come out, frustrating Percy.

It took a few more tries until Percy finally got it. And after that Hades made him travel back to the throne. Percy shadow-traveled from both positions for about five minutes, until Hades deemed him worthy.

They both walked out of the Underworld's palace at a steady pace. Percy usually hated moving so slow, but now took advantage of it to view his surroundings.

He saw the long line of souls leading to the three judges of the Underworld. Some looked scared, like they knew punishment was coming, while some souls were walking hand-in-hand. Percy concluded that though they died, they were happy to have each other. He was going to ask Hades on why some souls were shivering but his attention was stolen by horrifying screams.

Percy redirected his eyes to the source of the scream, and immediately wished he didn't. There lied the Fields of Punishment, and Percy already felt bile form in his throat. A man was getting his fingers ripped off, by having them twisted off. There was also another man getting whipped with leather belts with spikes stitched on.

"Contrary to what those on Olympus think, it is actually difficult to be assigned the Fields of Punishment. The judges are not biased to Olympus and are fair. That woman ran a child smuggling ring for over two decades, and participated in raping many of the ones she stole. That's why she's being punished the way she is."

Hades saw Percy staring at a woman screaming and explained before the question was asked. That was because from Percy's perspective, he couldn't understand why she was yelling or why her skirt was pulled up with spirits working behind it.

They passed by Elysium and the Isles of the Blest, and Percy thought it was the most beautiful thing he had ever seen. Elysium reminded him of Olympus but the Isles were a whole other conversation. He could only guess that Athena had never see it, because the dwellings of the Olympians could use a major upgrade.

Finally they reached the Asphodel Fields, and Percy wasted no time on calling it the most boring place he has ever been. It was easily the most populated, with probably over trillions of souls, yet that was it. There were no screams, no singing, just souls.

And the souls faces were seemingly wiped, faceless people walking around with no sense of direction. There was a flash of golden eyes but when Percy went for the double-take they were gone. He really wanted to go but unfortunately Hades stopped in the center of the fields.

"Here we are." Hades announced.

"Why are we here of all the Underworld?" Percy complained, "Am I supposed to train here or something? Aren't we supposed to be preparing, but we're in the land of literally nothing."

Percy waved his hands around for effect but Hades was checking his surroundings making sure he was in the correct place. Once he was sure he snapped his fingers and Percy's world spun.

"You'll have to go by yourself on this one. The gods are not supposed to enter another god's domain without invitation, and Hecate isn't one to openly allow anyone into her domain."

When Percy finally stabled himself, he turned to where Hades was standing but found him missing.

"Wait!" Percy yelled, "What do you mean? Where am I supposed to go?"

He waited as the ghouls around him passed him by without acknowledging him. Deciding that he wasn't getting an answer he turned around to assess his situation. It didn't take long as he met the huge temple—that definitely wasn't there before— in front him.

Percy was slowly hypnotized by the beauty of the temple. It had no temples and could probably be easily constructed by a middle schooler. But it was the color of it; a soft pink, not obnoxious like Aphrodite's pink, that slowly faded into magenta, then phased into a bold purple. It continued the colorful symphony, making Percy gravitate towards it unwilling. Or was it willingly?

As Percy approached the temple, he blinked. He didn't expect anything to happen by blinking, but when he did what was in front of him changed. The architecture changed that gave a strong resemblance of Greek architecture. And the beautiful colors now had gold writing sprayed along it.

They were multiple languages; from American to French and Russian to Chinese. Some, Percy could tell, had direct correlations to the Greek language but we're way older than what he knew. It only served to attract him more though, as he found himself running inside.

As he entered the building he was flabbergasted, and he instantly lost all interest. There was nothing, literally nothing, but a small throne. And that's if anyone would want to call it that out of respect, because it was honestly a toddler's play chair.

"This has got to be a joke." Percy whispered to himself. He turned around to leave, but the entrance was gone. In it's place was the same beautiful wall that was blessed on the outside.

"A joke? I guess in a way it is, considering that a joke correlates with a trick. But I prefer to call it magic."

Percy turned his entire body, and whipped out his hunting knives to defend himself from the unknown. He instantly regretted it when he saw who was on the chair, now turned into a real throne.

A beautiful woman who looked to be in her early thirties sat on a gorgeous throne. That's the only way to describe it, as Percy never saw a more intricate throne. The woman's skin was tanned and her body wore silk robes. Her eyes were a bold purple like her temple, and had a mischievous look. One that actually scared Percy unlike Hermes.

Her face was another conversation by herself. While Percy had never been attracted to a girl yet, he wasn't stupid enough to know when a female was beautiful or not. And this woman in front him definitely was the definition of beautiful. She looked just like a gypsy from the mid sixteenth century, and gave the feel she was just as sneaky as one.

Percy was at lost on what to do or say. Obviously he had to say her name but he didn't know who it was. He at first thought it was one of the Olympian goddess but remembered they were on Olympus. He racked his brain for answers, until he remembered was Hades said.

"Lady Hecate." Percy acknowledged.

She gave a small smile, one that made Percy unconsciously check to see if he still had his knives. "Percy Jackson, former son of Poseidon and now the child of the Moon. Now I knew your full title, I wonder, can you tell me mine."

Percy gulped, for some reason every deity under the mortal world was making him want to hide in a corner. "You are Lady Hecate. The Titan Goddess of crossroads, ghosts, necromancy, and…"

"And?" Hecate leaned forward in anticipation, aging into a young woman in their twenties in the process.

"And the goddess of magic." Percy finished.

The demigod jumped right out of his shoes when the Titan hopped off her throne with a joyous laugh. "Correct! I am the mistress of magic!" She had the widest smile on her face, looking as if she won the lottery.

Percy took a cautious step back at the sudden outburst, only to have Hecate take another step forward. Only inches from Percy's body. "You seem scared." She observed.

Thinking she took his demeanor as disrespect, Percy vigorously shook his head. "N-no not at all milady." He silently cursed himself for stuttering.

"Are you sure?" Hecate questioned, and Percy couldn't help but notice how mysterious her voice sounded, "It would be perplexing, wouldn't it? For you to come to my home, only to be afraid of me. Right?"

"Yes milady."

"Great!" Hecate clapped her hands, "Now why did you come to my home?"

Percy fidgeted in his place. He had zero clue that he was even going to be here, much less why he was here. All he remembered was Hades saying that they have to worry about precautions. What the precautions were, Percy hasn't the slightest idea.

"I don't actually know milady. All that Lord Hades said was that I need to prepare. But for what, I don't know."

"Demigods, always jumping into things that they have no clue about." She shook her head—almost teasingly—and abruptly look straight into Percy's eyes, with the mischievous look more prominent than ever.

"You know, usually when males come to ask for favors or help, I would usually ask for something in return. Especially when they look like you."

"Is there something you need me to find milady?"

"No no, I'm afraid not. You are, in fact, too young for me. You probably don't even have anything stirring down there."

Percy, who finally caught on to the off request, blushed red for the first time in his life. He knew what she was implying, and blushed not because he was attracted to Hecate, but because of how blunt she was.

He also knew that when a god or goddess wanted you, and you weren't a god yourself, there was nothing you can do. So Percy responded in the only way he could think of.

"Wouldn't it be weird to see a woman in their twenties hit on a twelve-year-old boy?"

If she was surprised, Hecate didn't show it, because she only took her finger and ran it down his chest. She did it slowly, like she was trying to commit the feel of his body to memory. When she got to his waist she leaned down so her head was next to his ear and whispered, "In mortal customs, yes it would go against society's' rules. But from what I know you're more god than you are mortal, correct?"

Percy cursed himself again before quickly replying, "Yes, milady."

"Don't fret young hero. I already said you were too young. But when you come of age you will return here and I will have my way with you. And if you prove yourself worthy I may let you return the favor. Understand?"

Not knowing any other way to respond, Percy said, "Yes ma'am."

She gave up her stern look for a soft smile and said, "Good. Now let's go, we have much work to do."

She moved away from him and turned to towards the corner of the room—which now had a door—and beckoned Percy over. She had to wait though, because Percy was slightly paralyzed at his future with the goddess.

"Percy," Hecate called, snapping Percy out of it, "We must make haste, Olympus has seemed to begin its descent into havoc."

"Sorry I'm coming right… did you say havoc? What's wrong with Olympus? They found who actually stole Zeus' bolt?"

"No, I suspect they must have realized that you didn't steal it. Or Artemis has revealed that hunters cannot find you. Now let's go, Fates only knows when Zeus calls all the gods to Olympus!"

He nodded and hurried after the goddess who already passed through the door. He entered and was amazed at the scene in front of him. The room was dimly lit, with torches lining the upper walls. Under the walls were bookcases filled with books, but not like in a library, these books gave off an eerie feel that Percy definitely did not like.

In the center of the room was a grand table, about a quarter-mile long, made out of mahogany. On the table sat multiple vials filled with different colored liquids, and Percy was praying to Hestia that he wouldn't have to drink anything. They stopped next to the table where a gigantic cauldron, made from Olympian Silver, was placed. Percy took a few steps forward to look inside, only to find the pot just had water.

"The mortals do not worship me as they do the Olympian gods, but in another way. They believe me to be a witch, who has the same cauldron as I do, except it is usually illuminated with green water and smoke. Obviously as you can see, the mortals are far from the truth, but the gesture is greatly appreciated."

"So why are we here? To learn your history with the mortals?"

Hecate ignored his slightly snarky comment and moved her hand from behind her cape. "Take off your shirt and give it to me."

Percy froze up and turned to the goddess, before relaxing realizing he was too young. He slipped off his shirt and gave it to Hecate, also while noticing her change in wardrobe.

 _When did she change into that? I could've swore she was in silk robes._ Percy thought, before asking out loud, "So why exactly do you need my shirt? You seem to know what you're doing."

She turned the shirt inside out, ripped out a patch of silver cloth, and threw it into the cauldron, "I actually already know what I need to do, Hestia came and asked me to help earlier. That woman is far too kind to be in debt to me, that's why I let you know our deal when you grow older. As for what I'm doing is benefiting you in the future. You must know that you can't stay in the Underworld forever."

"Yeah, I kinda figured that. Now, why am I taking trips out of the Underworld? That's the question I can't find the answer to."

"Why that's simply because you're The Prophecy Child."

"Me?" Percy asked incredulously, "How do you figure that?"

"That's for us to know."

"Shouldn't I know, if I'm the so-called Prophecy Child?"

"Maybe you do know, but you're to humble to recognize it."

Percy sighed in defeat. Obviously this wasn't a battle he was going to win, especially since Hecate is as stubborn as he is. "So again, why do you need my shirt?"

"Your mother made sure you wore this cloth for years. Can you tell me why?"

"Yeah. It was because she didn't want any nosy god learning about me. Initially, it was for the Olympians but since they found out, the purpose then was to keep me out of the eyes of monsters."

"Now why would she want to hide such a handsome young man like yourself?"

 _T_ o _kill me off if I do the exact thing she thought I did_. Percy stumbled and placed a hand on the table to steady himself. He moaned in pain as he just received the world's largest headache, that lasted only for a few seconds.

Hecate paused from her work to examine the demigod in her presence. "Are you alright?"

"Yes I'm fine." Percy muttered after regaining his bearings. Hecate nodded and went back to do whatever she was doing, while Percy still didn't get the answer he wanted. "Lady Hecate-"

"No formalities, I meant to say that before. I don't need you to be formal, for me to know I'm significantly more powerful than you are."

"Ok well then… Hecate. You still haven't answered my question."

"Oh yes, my apologies, I guess I do keep getting off topic. I'm taking the magical properties of the cloth to allow you to trek the mortal world. Tell me, do you like bracelets or necklaces?"

Percy, who was befuddled by the question, answered, "I would prefer a wristband."

"That wasn't an option." Hecate scolded. She chanted a greek spell and something floated out of the water. Percy—who took back his shirt—tried to get a better look but his vision was distorted by the mist surrounding whatever it was. At the end of the chant the mist solidified into a silver wristband, and flew straight into Hecate's hand.

"Here, this is yours. You are lucky I like you." She handed him the wristband. The moment it touched his hand, it snapped apart, slithered around his arm, and snapped back securely on his wrist.

He held it up towards the torch light and admired how it looked. "Thank you, Hecate, for the wristband. Um… why did you give me a wristband?"

"I made the magic on it stronger and made it to easier to use for travel. The Olympians, including Artemis, will not be able to see you unless they are right in front of you. The band also removes your demigod scent, since you'll face many more difficult challenges down here than up there."

"Wow, yeah you were right. This will be really helpful."

"Yes it is, but wait because I'm not done." Hecate left the cauldron and advanced towards the table. She was muttering to herself as she bobbed throughout the many vials filled potions. She made a triumphant sound as she lifted a bottle filled with electric blue liquid. "You will also need this!"

"Wait why do I need that? Please don't tell me I have to drink that." Percy began to pale at the thought.

"Drink it? No no, you will need to pour this on the tree with the locked soul."

"What tree?"

"You will know when the time comes. Now remember this; **Roots of slavery, Bark of strife. Release the locked soul to the world of life.** Now when you say that, remember to do so in Greek, got it?"

"Wait why do I have to-"

"Do you understand?"

Percy chanted the words in his mind, carefully so he didn't make a mistake. "Yes, Hecate, I do. But I what I don't understand is-"

"Well then you have everything you need from me. You can return to Hades now."

"But Hecate,-" He tried to stop her, but he was helpless as she snapped her fingers and Percy's world spun again.

When it stopped spinning he found himself on the dead land of the Fields of Asphodel. He stood up, dusted himself off, and tried to look for Hecate's temple. He gave up fairly quickly though, as his attentive ears heard the echo of the goddess' laughter. He knew that it was directed at him so he instead focused on trying to shadow travel back to the House of Hades.

 _Okay Percy. Just take deep breaths and focus on the throne room. He_ followed his internal directions and easily found himself in the throne room.

Right on the ceiling.

He fell unceremoniously to the cold, pale tile, and stayed there groaning. He tried but failed to get up, as the pain was unbearable. "I really hope I figure this travel thing out."

"I take it your goal was a success."

His voice serving it's purpose, scared Percy right out of his fatal position. The young demigod looked up to find Hades back in his throne, only with a beautiful middle-aged woman sitting next to him with her own throne. Her throne was still gloomy, as it was made with pure onyx. The only thing giving it hope of being normal was the assortment of flowers decorating it, the same assortment of flowers stuck in the woman's hair.

"I also need to get used to his voice," Percy muttered.

"What was that?"

"I said," Percy raised his voice, mentally thinking of an excuse. "I would if I knew what my goal was."

"I like him husband, he has a lot of spunk for a demigod," the woman said. Hades only frowned.

"Was nothing profited when you went to Hecate's temple?"

"Yeah I did 'profit' something. The cloth that my mother made to hide me, she turned into a wristband with stronger magic than the original. She also gave me a cryptic message with a bottle that… nope, it didn't break." Percy showed off his wrist and the magic vial.

"What was the message?"

"She said to say this when I see a big tree. It was **Ρίζες της δουλείας, φλοιός των συγκρούσεων. Αφήστε την κλειδωμένη ψυχή στον κόσμο της ζωής.** "

The woman gasped, "She intends to wake up my sister."

"It wouldn't have been my final judgement, but it is the best yet. Not that there is any time to think on it. Perseus-"

"It's Percy."

"Quiet boy!" Hades snapped, effectively making Percy flinch. "You now have to leave the Underworld and go to Camp Half-Blood. The summer is coming, and at the end you will return. That is when we begin your training."

"Why can't I stay here and start training now. Why do you have to go there?"

Percy may have zero experience with Camp Half-Blood, but he automatically knew he would hate it. Lauren showed him pictures that she took of the place, and it didn't impress Percy in the slightest. Sure it's a vast chunk of land that's perfect for any ordinary demigod, but that's the problem; Percy isn't the normal demigod.

Being in a place with barriers, even if they are easily passable, doesn't sit well with Percy, Artemis, or any of the hunters. Percy wants to run around as far as his heart's content, and that stupid camp directly contradicts that. Percy figured that if Artemis did have demigod children, they wouldn't want to go to camp either. Needless to say, Hades could care less.

"We cannot start training now, we have to deal with my brother's tantrum along with your mother. I don't have time for such immaturity, you will go now and that's final."

"Husband, go easy on the boy. He was just betrayed by his mother." The woman reasoned.

"Wait a minute, husband? That's means your… Lady Persephone." Percy was in slight awe at meeting yet another new goddess.

The said goddess smiled and got off her throne to make her way to Percy. When she reached him, she bent down to hug him, smothering his face with her bosom. "I'm so sorry for what happened to you."

Percy gave a small smile, that no one could see, but was internally groaning. _Obviously she was one of the goddesses who knew what I'll look like in the future. Which isn't fair, because I still don't know._

"Alright Persephone, leave the boy alone."

She pulled back, almost reluctantly, and gave Percy a flirtatious smile. One that flew right over his head. "Here to help you, I'll send right outside the camp."

Before Percy could even respond, the Queen of the Underworld had already whisked Percy away. She smiled a satisfied smile and returned to her husband's side.

"Don't you think we are rushing things?"

"Maybe, for now. But we can't take any chances. If you want, I promise to slow things down for him at the Summer's end."

"Yes, I think he and I would very much appreciate that."

Hades nodded before rubbing his temples, "Great, now we can finally continue and hurry to Olympus. Not that anyone wants to go to Olympus anyway." Hades sighed.

"I do, husband." Persephone revealed.

"Of course, my Queen, but that is because you are Zeus' daughter. Yet your preference cannot be said for the other residents in the Underworld."

"It at least counts for something."

Hades stomped his foot, making the Underworld shake, but it was done to call the other gods. "Yes, my Queen, I suppose it does."

They didn't have to wait long as all the other gods flashed in instantly. Hecate, Lyssa, Morpheus, Phobetor, Phantasos, Nemesis, Eris, Thanatos, Momus, and Oizys were all lined up facing Hades. No one needed to say anything, that no one wanted to go Olympus right now. And with Zeus having such a temper tantrum? Forget it.

"Is everyone prepared to leave?" Hades asked. There wasn't a reason, but he _really_ didn't want to go to Olympus.

"Yes? Well then let us be off."

* * *

Percy was all discombobulated.

When he was flashed to Camp Half-Blood, he just so happened to be on top of a tree. Not expecting that at all, he again fell abruptly to the floor.

 _Oh well, at least it's dirt and grass this time. Hades' tile floor was… well Hades._

Percy easily jumped up onto his feet and assessed his surroundings. He was close to a street that didn't seem to lead to anything in both directions. Remembering he's supposed to go to a camp, he turns to the woodlands behind him.

He noticed something affecting the wind, like the breeze suddenly stopping and turning another way.

 _That is definitely not right._

He looked towards the Earth to find some type of tracks, but found nothing. When he looked closer though, there seemed to be something flickering on the floor. Percy snapped his fingers to control the mist, and was surprised to see a sculpted path embroidered into the ground.

 _Ok, so maybe this is right._

He flipped up his hood and tied it really tight to cover his hair. He then took out his hunting knives and willed them to disappear with thought. The hunters were the same, they never carried their bows and knives unless they were hunting. When they were finished, they willed them away with thought. It made it handy so they stopped losing their weapons. Just because they were they famously feared hunters, doesn't mean they were the most clean beings on Earth.

Percy trekked the path for only a few minutes before coming into contact with a large pine tree. It gave a strong ethereal feel, and Hades' blessing was unknowingly telling Percy that there was a life in the tree. Suddenly Hecate's words made sense. Sensing that this was the foretold tree he was supposed to use the vial on.

He pulled it out and looked at with a confused expression. Hecate never actually told him what to do when he got to the tree, only what to say.

"Well the first word of the spell says roots, so why not?" Percy mused.

He uncorked the vial and walked up to the tree. He got close to the roots and poured the electric blue liquid onto it. When he emptied the bottle, he stood up, took a step back, and admired his work. He took a deep breath and said, " **Ρίζες της δουλείας, φλοιός των συγκρούσεων. Αφήστε την κλειδωμένη ψυχή στον κόσμο της ζωής.** "

The liquid glowed for a second, before seeping into the roots of the pine tree. Another moment later and the entire tree was glowing gold. But that wasn't just it, as Percy's chest gave off a light as well. He also was felt himself slowly be exhausted, like his life force was being drained.

 _Ok, now it's official. This is definitely not right._

The tree stopped glowing after a minute, but the damage was already done. Percy was on his knees breathing hard, but looked up to see a girl morph out of the tree like a dryad. He only noticed that her eyes were electric blue like the vial, before his vision faded and he passed out.

The girl was fourteen years old, with black hair similar to Percy's, with electric blue eyes. Just like Percy, she gave off an aura that proves she was a seriously strong demigod. Her mind wasn't fully collected but she knew that she should've been dead. She looked at the boy that was face down into the dirt, but she couldn't recognize him.

She did remember a tall boy with blond hair and a sneaky smile. She thinks she was… close with him. Maybe it was romantically, maybe it was friendly, she couldn't recall. There was also a little girl, around seven or eight, with inquisitive grey eyes. She remembers the princess curls and the family relationship that she was confident in.

"Hey what's going on over… Thalia?"

The intruders voice was questioning, but slowly turned into disbelievingly. But the reborn girl didn't hear her voice. No, she only turned when the the dagger the intruder held was dropped onto a stone.

The girl turned and her eyes widened, because the little seven-year old was standing before her. Except she wasn't seven any longer, only a couple years younger than her. She collapsed to the ground, watching as the gray-eyed intruder tried to catch her.

She felt her head being lifted, the set down again. Only this time she felt the fabric of jeans under her. She heard her—what she thought was—little sister call for someone named Chiron.

"Chiron! Mr. D! Chiron! Come here, fast! Thalia? Do you remember me? It's me, Annabeth!"

The girl with electric blue eyes felt herself lose consciousness, as her intruder, no, her little sister's voice was too fast. She was able to catch the last bit though, and she didn't know why, but her heart melted.

"Oh my gods! I can't believe after all this time, you're alive!"

* * *

 **A/N: Ok, before anything is said, I need to apologise. It was going to be a month without me updating which is highly unacceptable. I mean, I haven't even dropped an author's note or anything.**

 **I haven't forgot about this story in the least, it just that I couldn't find time to write the story… because I have been writing essays for school. But it's still not an excuse, so again, I'm sorry.**

 **Now here is Chapter 6. If you couldn't guess that Hestia took Percy to Hades, well you must've been drunk or something. Now on to major points.**

 **Blessings: Percy received two blessings that really don't effect him, and that was the purpose. Many stories make the mistake of overpowering Percy as the main character. Many of the times it's not even worth reading, and I wanted to avoid that. Now this is fanfiction and deserves a little randomness, but I still want a little common sense thrown in. Evident as Hades says why would he give his full blessing to a twelve year old child.**

 **Hecate: In the Percy Jackson series, Percy is known to be extremely handsome. Many don't realize it because he is constantly told that he "looks like his father". So Hecate and Persephone were flirting with him. Albeit one was very more blunt than most.**

 **Thalia: Yes, this was the girl coming out of the tree. But I have complete faith that you all knew that. She was necessary considering the fact that if Percy participated in quests he really wouldn't be hiding now would he? But don't be discouraged, Percy will be very active in each in every quest, but like the summary said; from the shadows.**

 **As for the review votes it was 17 Piper and 13 Reyna. The poll votes are Piper 20 and Reyna 23. The end result is Piper 27 and Reyna 26. It was close but Piper is the lucky heroine for our charming hero. Preyna shippers don't be angry, just wait until Reyna shows up in the story. She won't be in a relationship with Percy, but you'll still be satisfied. In the end, the poll is deleted and Piper reigned supreme.**

 **I thirst for Constructive Criticism. Give to me or die. Simple as that. Nah, I'm just joking.**

 **Again thanks for even reading. Share to others, like it, add it to your library.**

 **You won't regret it.**


	7. Chapter 7

**Insanity**

Percy woke up with a start. He found himself in an unknown bed, inside a strange room with bizarre furniture. On the outside, the room looked fine with the usual bedroom furnishings, but the ever vigilant Percy knew better. The shirt and pants that he was wearing today were not the ones he passed out with and knew he could have been potentially violated.

Though it was unnecessary, Percy pulled his shirt to his nose to see if he could get a whiff of who man-or woman-handled him. He instantly regretted it, however, when his nostrils were flooded with strong perfume. He coughed and ripped off his shirt, revealing his slightly muscular chest to the warm crisp air. While usually, he would try to be as clean as a young boy could possibly be, he tossed the destroyed piece of fabric in the corner and stood up.

He had zero clues on where he was, he could only assume a very large house. He looked outside and guessed he was most likely on the second floor. He went to the dresser to find a shirt, but the task was proven to be slightly daunting as there were stupid orange shirts that said…

 _Camp Half-Breed? Camp… Half-Blood? The demigod camp? Oh forget it, I'm to shaken to think properly right now._

He found an all-black shirt in the back of one drawer and put it on, not ignorant enough to not notice how well the shirt fit. He cursed Aphrodite, knowing she couldn't hear him anyway, and if she did the love goddess could just chalk it up to some couple that recently broke up.

He changed out of his jeans into some new ones as the old ones were soiled with girl perfume, and Percy preferred to not walk smelling like he came from a one night stand.

Not that he knew what that was anyway.

He checked to see if his weapons were still accessible, and was satisfied to find everything where they should be. He summoned his twin silver hunting knives, along with the belt that holds them, and placed them on his waist. Checking himself in a mirror, Percy quickly advanced towards a side room that opened up to be a bathroom. He hesitated for a second before entering, subconsciously keeping his hands on standby in case of attack.

He was raised too well to know be wary of surroundings, especially in an unknown area. So far nothing about the room came off as evil or menacing, but the only evidence he has is the clothes he got out of the drawer. That and the fact he woke up in a normal bedroom, one where normal mortal children would hope to wake up in.

But Percy was none the wiser on what was outside the room. For all, he knew he could be in some random god's temple, and the calm scenery was a ploy to drop his guard. His suspicions were elevated when he found a toothbrush already prepared next to the sink, with a washcloth right beside it.

He cupped his hands and placed them on his face. Then he exhaled a breath to check to see if it smelled. He recoiled almost immediately, before sighing, "If I die, I would only return to Hades anyway."

Twenty minutes later, Percy completed his personal hygiene requirements and peered out the room into the hallway. He looked to his left and saw 3 more rooms, that were most likely like his own, with a window at the end. His right held two more rooms and a string that hangs from the ceiling. Percy didn't think much about it, waving it off as a simple attic room.

With that grace of a normal hunter, he silently crept towards the window. At first, he was going to jump out of it but found stairs leading to the bottom floor. He took the safer route because he may or may not draw attention jumping out a window, not because he might get hurt leaping from two stories.

Once he reached the bottom of the staircase, he instantly spotted the front door wide open, not even ten steps away. Percy grew a grin and ran to the entrance, but unfortunately this time the hunter fell for the bait.

"Now where do you think you're going?"

One step. Percy was literally one step away, before feeling the aura of a god, and whoever the god was forced the once wide open door, shut. The demigod ever so slowly turned to the owner of the voice and was greeted with a chubby face and bloodshot eyes. The man wore a leopard-spotted shirt, khaki shorts, and purple running shoes. Upon realization, Percy instantly released all tension in his body, not scared of the god in front of him at all.

"Dionysus." Percy acknowledged, only nodding his head slightly as a sign of respect.

The god gave a crazed smile, one that could be interpreted as insane, but seem to fit the god's face perfectly. Though his presence wasn't inviting, Percy knew he had to approach him anyway.

"The Troublemaker of Olympus. Will you not bow in the presence of a god?"

"I'm pretty sure that if you qualify as a god, I should be groveling and kissing every satyr's feet if I have to bow to you." Percy retorted, not interested in even looking at the wine god, and turning to look at what seems to be the living room. He was taking in the stuffed leopard when he heard Dionysus snort.

"Seeing as I'm in the position to take you to Olympus, I suggest you revamp your standards on respect real quick-like." The wine god was enjoying this and didn't hide showing it. He took a long swig of his Coca-cola and gave off an even crazier smile at Percy's glare. He placed his beverage on the nearby table and beckoned the son of Artemis to the open chair, "Come and sit with your Uncle, we have much to talk about."

Percy grudgingly listened to directions at sat on the chair that was, thankfully, opposite Dionysus. They had a minor staring contest, with Dionysus' crazy, almost manic, glee looked straight into Percy's annoyed glare. Percy decided to break the silence, "How long have I been out?"

"Five days."

"I didn't pass out with the clothes I woke up in. Who dressed me?"

"That would be Sabrina Beckett, daughter of Aphrodite. She so annoyingly announced that she could feel with her _powers_ that you will be extremely handsome, even though you're young. I don't see why she would even care since she's so smitten with that Carter boy." Dionysus was rambling absentmindedly, making Percy wonder if the Olympian still knew he was there.

From the various stories he's heard, Percy knew some of the ins-and-outs of this god. One thing he distinctly remembered was that Dionysus purposely fluffs up everyone's name, so he took those names with a grain of salt. But the words he said, daughter of Aphrodite, had his brain cells going into overdrive.

"You said, daughter of Aphrodite. Correct?"

"And then there's those Hermes twins, Cody and Tony-"

"Dionysus," Percy called, shaking said god out of his stupor. "Did you, or did you not say, daughter of Aphrodite. And did I also hear Hermes twins?"

"Obviously, Peter, what else what I say. What else would you expect at this horrid camp."

"Camp? Like as in Camp Half-Blood?"

"Yes, the only safe place for demigods like you, yadda yadda yadda. It's all the craze these days, but then again, it's not exactly safe for you is it, Peter?"

Percy gritted his teeth in irritation at the fact on how easily he lost sight of his goal. But it was inevitable, he has only heard stories on the fabled camp, albeit not all so positive, and was easily overcome by curiosity. "Are you going to let me go peacefully?"

Dionysus slightly leaned forward and asked, "Are you going to ask the right questions?"

Anger slowly leads to madness, so Percy took a deep breath to steady himself and gather his emotions, not doubting that the wine god could be drinking off of his steadily growing anger, "How did you find me?"

"Good question, but not the right one." Dionysus jested.

"I don't care. I still want an answer."

Dionysus raised an unbelievably bushy eyebrow, "You, are probably the most disrespectful demigod I have ever met in my long life. The answer to that poor question is that after Anniebell screamed for Chiron and me, we find you, unconscious, next to Tracy."

"Her name is Thalia."

"That's what I said. Now you need to ask a better question."

"Fine," Percy caved in, ready to end this conversation. "You found me. I don't doubt that the gods are looking for me. My question is, what are you going to do to me"

"Finally, I thought you would never ask." At this, the son of Artemis rolled his eyes. "My answer is… Nothing."

"Um, what?"

"You heard me Peter, and do you want to know why?"

Percy thought for a while, with each passing second further angering Dionysus. "I can't believe I'm saying this but, yeah I actually do."

"It's because I thirst for madness. I live and breathe for it." He showed his devotion to it by allowing his eyes to glow purple and letting his breath suffocate the demigod with the stench of wine.

Percy, however, wasn't fazed in this slightest but grateful as it completely rid him of the girly perfume, but his curiosity once again was peaked. "That is a very attractive quality, Dionysus. How do the women deny you?"

"Being attractive has nothing to do with it!" Dionysus barked, being fed up with the attitude and still seeing him unbothered. "It is the magnitude of insanity that is the focus!"

"Is it? So you don't want to know anything at all, nothing about how I got here? Why is Thalia so miraculously freed from that tree? You don't want to know anything and you will tell the Olympians nothing? Why wouldn't you?"

Betraying his physical form, Dionysus was inches away from Perseus face in a blink of an eye. "Because not knowing is the true beginnings of insanity. No?" His voice was concerned, yet happy. A sadistic tone of voice for a sadistic man.

"I guess so. I mean, you are the god of insanity right? I wouldn't put it past you to know what you're talking about concerning your domain."

"Yes, you would be smart for thinking that."

"And you're just going to take advantage of the situation by your own means."

"Do not the gods take advantage of demigods to do their biddings in the so-called quests? This would be all impossible had your eyes been shown. The silver would've given everything away."

"I'm sorry for messing up your master plan I had zero clue I was apart of."

"Shut up. If you haven't noticed already I changed your eyes to match the Apollo kids."

Yeah, of course, Percy noticed. The demigod accidentally found himself staring back at himself as if magically waiting for them to return to silver. He guesses that since his eyes changed, his hair was supposed to as well. Just that Dionysus wanted to wait until they talked. "Don't you want to change my hair as well?"

"Why would I? Do you think that just because that sun god is blond that all his children are as well? I had already rid you of the auburn and made your hair completely black. Now hurry up and leave, Chiron will take over from here."

Percy wasted no time and immediately bolted towards the door. Again he was one step from leaving when Dionysus stopped him again. He turned around with an exasperated look and said, "What?"

"Good luck with your new life. You'll need it."

* * *

Thalia was ready to commit murder, and she had plenty of options to kill as well. Because for what seemed like the millionth time, the moment she entered the dining pavilion everyone who was already in attendance stared at her. Like a freak. Almost as if they strongly believed and felt that she needed to feel even more out of place, than she already did.

Even though they had a small defense on why they treat her that way, Thalia wasn't going to give it to them. Sure she just happened to reappear out of absolute nowhere, seemingly reanimated from the dead like Lazarus, but did that mean she should be the main target of discrimination? No, it doesn't, and she'll take every opportunity to let them know.

No one had an answer to what truly happened, the only witness being somewhat Annabeth. Even she said that she was trying to hurry back to her cabin before curfew when she saw the pine tree flash golden light. Apparently, Detective Chase investigated the crime scene and saw her standing stone-still like a ghost was seen. Thalia was happy to see that the seven-year-old girl she remembered was just as inquisitive today than half a decade before.

She was immensely grateful for the daughter of Athena though. Annabeth was one of the few people who would even speak to her, glued to her hip ever since her awakening. Her camp schedule was copied, a class for class, to match Athena's cabin schedule. Thalia was slightly peeved that she allowed Annabeth to do that, but who was she to expect three hours a day studying Ancient Greek stories.

Thalia gave everyone in the room the dirtiest glare she could muster, which made about ninety-five percent of the room flinch and turn away. She met Chiron's eyes that were filled with pity before she steeled herself and walked towards her table, head held high just like a daughter of Zeus would.

She took a deep breath and allowed her spirit to calm from the insanity that is her life. As the nymphs began passing out meals, she withheld her glare at them for bringing food to her first just because of who her father is.

 _It's like they want to bring more attention to me._

It wasn't their fault, it was customary. If the gods were to ever have a family dinner, Zeus would get his plate first and take the first bite. That didn't mean she would be forced to sacrifice first. In the beginning, Thalia wasn't even going to offer up any food, but Chiron wouldn't allow her to face a horrible fate for being stubborn. So she made a compromise, she would go with the Apollo kids, not for the god or his children, but because of the odd raven-haired boy that was in the midst of blondes and brunettes.

Perseus "Percy" Jackson. A kid that would be as weird as she was if not for having all those siblings. Honestly, the Apollo cabin has well over seventy kids which are the most any cabin has, even more than Hermes who has undetermined children in their cabin too. But of all those siblings, Percy is the most different of all of them.

For starters, he isn't the ray of sunshine the Apollo's kids were known for. The inviting and welcoming charisma was nonexistent, instead, there was an icy cold exterior that told everyone to get away from him. Second, he seems to hate people, males especially and doesn't shy away from showing it. His numerous―which was an understatement―half-brothers always tried to show him brotherly love, but were always rejected with a kick to the groin. At first, she thought it was just rumored, but she witnessed it in Archery, along with Percy muttering something like, "...prefer...father...kids...annoying…"

When Thalia strained to hear more rumors, which happened a lot, she also heard that supposedly Percy was pretty cute. Just like any thirteen-year-old girl would, Thalia made it a small personal mission to see his face. It was harder than it seemed because the black hoodie he wore always shadowed his face. She was slightly disappointed though when she saw the face of a twelve-year-old boy.

Thankfully Percy seemed to be perfectly fine with girls, bar daughters of Aphrodite, so becoming friends wasn't hard. And Thalia didn't know why but she forced herself to play a parental role towards Percy. Not really a mother, but more towards a cool fun aunt, the one your mother doesn't want you spending time with outside of Thanksgiving. She didn't know why she wanted to become his aunt, but she chalked it up to literally being his aunt by blood, being Apollo's half-sister. Ultimately, Thalia is just glad Percy didn't reject her.

It was then Thalia truly gained a friend. Where Annabeth would speak, Percy would listen. When Annabeth gave advice it was from her own personal experience and wasn't actually helpful. Percy, however, gave advice that directly correlated with Thalia's troubles, and actually aided the daughter of Zeus in better understanding herself. And self-awareness is crucial for a demigod, easily able to be interpreted as a life-or-death quality.

So when everyone in the pavilion understood that she wouldn't be sacrificing first, Thalia waited patiently for the Apollo cabin to stand up, and when they did, she made a beeline for Percy. It wasn't hard as Percy always made sure he gravitated towards the end of the group that consists of his half-siblings. He was in the middle of a short conversation with one of his elder half-sisters.

"Remember to throw the best portions of the meal into the fire, Percy." Rebecca, Percy's seventeen-year-old sister, reminded.

"I know, Becky. You tell me this every day." Percy, in his rare moments of showing emotion, whined.

"Then I shouldn't see you skimp out, like, I don't know, this morning."

"Well, maybe I would like to eat the best portions. If our father cares so much, wouldn't he love for me to enjoy the best part of my lunch."

"You know that's not how things work Perce. Everyone has to do it, right Thalia?" Rebecca looked past Percy's shoulder and sent a small smile and wave towards the daughter of Zeus.

Thalia returned it, before looking in between the two children of Apollo. "I don't actually know what the topic of conversation was, but I'll do the safe thing and…" She paused dramatically, making Rebecca roll her eyes, already knowing her answer. "Go with Percy on this one."

Percy grinned triumphantly, "See, even Thals agrees with me."

"I don't know what Chiron is going to do with you two in the future." Rebecca face-palmed at their sheepish smiles, before shaking her head and investigating the holdup at the hearth.

Thalia liked Percy's older sister, she was sweet and kind to everyone she met and spoke to Thalia kindly whenever she received the chance. She was extremely protective of Percy though, and when Thalia thought about, everyone in the Apollo cabin was protective of Percy. Even the younger siblings, to Thalia's amusement, watch over Percy constantly. Percy's nine-year-old sister could always be found shooing away any Aphrodite girls that waded to close to Percy.

Thalia bumped her shoulders with Percy, which was their usual way of greeting, and caused Percy to turn to her with a raised eyebrow. "What was that all about?" Thalia questioned.

Percy shrugged, "Sacrificing to the gods."

"Let me guess, another thing you don't like about camp."

He nodded, "Yeah, but you know what I do like? The satyrs."

"Really? You gotta be kidding. You're kidding right?"

"What's wrong with satyrs. I'd say they're cool. I mean they like nature and play wood pipes and everything."

"Nothing is wrong with them, I just don't see why of all things you could find interesting in camp, satyrs are the thing that apparently fits the bill."

"I don't know," Percy again shrugged his shoulders. "I think they would be perfect for an adventure is all. They're probably helpful for going through the forest, or maybe even one of those quests we have to participate in."

Thalia stopped walking at his cryptic answer and watched as he disobeyed his sister and pick off a normal piece of food and toss it into the burning embers. She would've followed in his footsteps, but she was the sole daughter of Zeus. She knew that Percy knew that Apollo wouldn't notice how lackluster his offering was compared to his siblings, but Zeus would quickly notice if her own offering consisted of anything less than the best. With the last few children of Apollo, Thalia dutifully cut off the most succulent piece of her brisket along with her ripest apple and tossed it before turning around.

She went to speak to Percy on why he was talking so strange, but before she could say anything Percy's annoying older brother popped up. "You alright Perce? No problems at all?"

Thalia watched his eyes slightly narrow, before shaking his head. Percy took a slight step back to put Thalia into view, "Everything is fine Michael. It wasn't exactly a challenge anyways, it was only throwing food into the fire." Thalia watched as Percy rebuilt his cold demeanor. He subtly tilted his head towards her, but whatever message he was trying to send went right by Michael.

His easygoing smile didn't sway Percy in the slightest, only furthering angering the young son of Apollo. His were still trained on Percy as he responded, "Well then you should hurry and get to our table. You know how hard it is to get seats." He stood there waiting for Percy to start walking towards him, but at Percy's fierce glare he flinched and turned around.

As Percy stared at his retreating form, Thalia attempted to take his mind off of it. "I don't even know how you even remember all of their names. I mean you have about a hundred other-"

"I don't like how everyone's been treating you, Thalia." He said her full name, meaning that he didn't like her trying to change the unspoken subject and that he was dead serious.

Thalia sighed in defeat before changing the subject, she didn't have time for this right now, "I'm a daughter of Zeus. Child of a broken oath. My treatment comes with the territory, but if you want to talk about then talk later. Let's not cause a scene."

She patted his shoulder and he took a deep breath before smirking. "Whatever you say… Auntie Thals." He quickly advanced towards his table to avoid being zapped. What he didn't notice was that Thalia only shook her head with a soft smile.

She sat her barren table and unconsciously looked up to watch the Hermes cabin go to the hearth with the undetermined. But she really wished she didn't as electric blue met cerulean.

Luke Castellan was the biggest con of her life. And not because his father is the god of thieves, but because of how Luke treated her. She turned away and looked down at her meal, hoping against hope she can bury the sting of the memories.

They used to be close, her, Luke, and Annabeth. There wasn't anything that could drive them apart, no monster nor god. They had multiple self-made safe houses all across of the country, and each one holds a special memory. They traveled everywhere and were constantly growing closer every day. It was until the unfortunate day of her death at the hands of Hades' monsters.

But when she returned, everything changed. When she recovered at the hands of the Apollo kids and Annabeth, the daughter of Athena introduced her to Luke again. Thalia was initially excited at the prospect of meeting Luke again, but that was her first mistake. She was a demigod daughter of one of the eldest gods, letting emotions take over was dangerous. And though it didn't hurt her physically, it absolutely destroyed her emotionally.

Because as Annabeth was chirping excitedly about being a family again, Thalia's eyes were locked with Luke's, and she didn't like what she saw at all. Shock leading to anger, leading to disappointment, leading to bitterness. Thalia saw as all those emotions flew through his eyes faster than Hermes can run, and served to completely obliterate the daughter of Zeus emotionally.

She knew exactly where all of it came from as well. While they were on the run, both, Thalia and Luke, confessed to each other. That was when they both shared their first kiss, but a week into exploring their slowing growing feelings came to abrupt end, at the finding of Annabeth. Thalia instantly put away any commitment to their relationship to take care of the shaken and exhausted daughter of Athena.

It was why he was so disappointed now because she should be seventeen years old to his nineteen years. But instead she was only a year older than Annabeth, and there was no chance of restarting a relationship now. It would do more than turn some heads to see a boy in his last teenage years dating a girl in her first teenage years.

But she got over it quickly, she had to because getting caught up in emotions, like before, was extremely dangerous. But Luke obviously didn't, as he made every opportunity to look at her with that same disgusting male attitude.

Thalia took a bite of her brisket and sighed, realizing that things with him were most likely only going to get harder. She didn't care though, and why should she? There were more important things to worry about, like her father's constant thunderstorms he's been bringing to Camp Half-Blood.

 _You would think he would be ecstatic at my revival. Instead, he's having a hissy fit, probably about something petty._

A thunderclap sounded throughout the camp, but it barely affected any of the campers. Thalia, however, had heard the sound play right through her brain, temporarily paralyzing her for her disrespectful thoughts. Thankfully no one noticed, but not even a minute later Mr. D, who was gone for breakfast, flashed into the pavilion. Staring directly at her.

Dionysus contemplated on having Chiron, who was approaching him, gather the demigods attention, but decided against it. Instead, he flared his aura and smirked as the reaction was near immediate.

"Demigods," Mr. D started, "Olympus is having problems. But you probably knew this already right? With all this weird weather and such."

The wine god absolutely adored the silence and fear coming from the demigods as a whole. He waved his hand and a Coca-Cola bottle materialized into his hand. He opened it and took a large swig before looking throughout the half-bloods. Thalia swore he locked eyes with Percy for a second, but before she could do a double-take he was already speaking again.

"Now today it has been decided that a quest will be issued. And after a small vote, we have also chosen the quest leader. Give it up for the one only Thalia, daughter of the King of the gods." He clapped his hands but failed with the can in his hands. This time he was angered at the silence, and growled out, "Clap!"

No one wasted time and followed his orders in an instant. Mr. D gave a Cheshire grin, one that belonged on a psychopath, and returned his eyes to Thalia, relishing her paling skin color. "Thalia Grace, you have been bestowed the quest of locating our father's bolt. You have until the Summer Solstice. As the tradition, you may bring two other questers to aid you. Make your selection. Now."

At the last word Dionysus growled out, Thalia snapped out of her trance and focused her eyes. She knew it would be pointless to argue, or to get out of the quest, so she looked among the demigods to find a partner.

Her eyes, having a mind of their own, immediately locked eyes with the startling grey eyes of Annabeth Chase. Thalia had to hold back a laugh, before settling on a knowing smirk, making the daughter of Athena blush in embarrassment. Thalia didn't miss a beat, "For my first quest member, I chose Annabeth Chase, daughter of Athena."

Thalia did laugh this time, as her little Annie let out a delighted squeal, causing her again to flush in embarrassment before hiding behind her siblings who were also chuckling. Thalia still had a small grin as she turned to find her second quester, already feeling a million times better even though everything was going a bit fast. She turned to her second pick, and her grin was swiped with a frown.

She had already picked Annabeth, so who better than to pick Percy? The two closest campers in Camp Half-Blood to the daughter of Zeus were the obvious choices, but Percy is picking at his food with his head down. Right when she was going to call his name, he shook his head and tapped his forehead, signaling her to think.

 _Think? Think about what?_

She tried to remember their recent conversations but found nothing. She knew it couldn't be something from weeks ago or when they first met, it had to be something that just happened. She closed her eyes to concentrate, which only made Mr. D angry. After about twenty seconds, and ignoring the whispering demigods, her eyes opened wide in realization.

 _Yeah, but you know what I do like? The satyrs._

 _Really? You gotta be kidding._

 _I think they would be perfect for an adventure is all. Or maybe even one of those quests we have to participate in._

"Well Tracy, I think I can speak for all of us on that you're taking far too long. I'm going to pick your next member, and I think I'm going to pick-"

"Grover!" Thalia all but shouted, "I chose my old protector, Grover the Satyr, as my third and final member."

Mr. D, though miffed, had no choice but to agree. "Great, well then gather up. Let's go."

"What? Don't we have to prepare?" Annabeth asked, growing frantic. Her siblings, not wishing to get on any god's bad side, pushed up Annabeth quickly.

After Grover trotted up, eyes shining with fear and excitement, Mr.D snapped his fingers immediately flashing out the members quickly. He regained his bored demeanor the minute they all were gone and looked back towards the congregation, all of them looking shocked. He took another swig of his pop before waving them off, "They were supposed to be off this morning, I only sent them to a wealthy hotel in Cleveland, with all their supplies prepared. Courtesy of Zeus showing love to his only daughter."

No one noticed Luke's eyes flash in anger because Chiron clapped his hands to get everyone's attention, "Alright everyone, let's begin our evening classes. Don't fret about the questers, we can only pray that their end is nowhere near."

* * *

The Apollo Cabin was experiencing its rare moments of peace, as the entire camp quieted down into their individual sleeping areas. However, one occupant, in particular, was wide awake, constantly glancing at the mirror he strategically placed to have an eye on the window. Once more, for what had to be the twentieth time, he glanced at his mirror and smiled slightly at the position of the moon.

 _The moon is at its peak, which means everyone is asleep. Perfect._

With the training of the Hunters, Percy leaped off of his bunk, which was three bunks up, and landed gracefully. He grinned widely this time as he sneaked across the cabin without so much as a creak. He skillfully trekked through the landmines that were his "siblings" and arrived at the center of the cabin that held a grand piano made of white oak.

While Apollo was known for his numerous domains, it was only the domains of Music, Archery, and Healing that his demigod children were blessed with. Almost all had Archery, with Music and Healing being a fifty-fifty chance. According to Chiron, never has a child of Apollo been blessed with all three, but it didn't matter with all the kids there were. In reality, there was the actual number of forty-three children, but can easily be misinterpreted if looked on from afar.

Percy used to think the only thing he shared with his Uncle was his mother, but apparently, music was also a trait shared between the two. The "son of Apollo" hated percussion, brass, strings, and woodwinds. They just seemed so irrelevant and a waste of time. But when his awesome sister Rebecca showed him the family piano, he was instantly hooked, practically begging her to teach him.

Percy remembered the moment fondly while popping up the lid of the piano. He flinched when it squeaked, but relaxed when no one reacted. He looked on with approval at the backpack hid was found safe and sound. He slid it on and advanced to the entrance, giving one more glance at his family, before silently exiting.

He took a deep breath, relishing the serene feeling he always felt at this time of night. After a quick check of the environment, Percy broke out in a sprint to the big tree. He was almost past the hearth when,

"You do seem to love running, don't you Percy?"

Percy froze at the voice and turned around quickly. There sat his great-aunt Hestia stoking the camp's hearth. He quickly began to kneel, before feeling her warm comforting hands pull him into a hug. "Don't even try it Perseus. You know to never kneel when around me, you're family."

"Sorry." Percy croaked, face turning purple at the unexpected strength of the goddess. He breathed a sigh of relief as he was let go, but regained his composure fast. This was the first time seeing the goddess since the Underworld, but he had to leave before he got caught.

"What are you doing here, Aunt Hestia?" Percy inquired.

"Stopping you from making a mistake, Now what do you think you're doing mister. Excuse me, I know what you're doing, mind you, but what I want to know is why?"

"Because" Percy paused and looked down. "I was betrayed by my mother. I mean... she was going to give me up to die. And she did so because... because she believed that I…"

"Stole the Bolt?" Percy nodded in confirmation, grateful that Hestia understood his internal battles. "Most likely, Thalia will find the true thief. That I am sure of. But what will you do, while you watch from the shadows as the thief comes into the light."

"I'll probably... most likely I'll... I… I don't know."

Hestia smiled knowingly and shook her head, expecting that answer, "Percy, you must be careful. You are letting your fatal flaw free without its leash. I can't save you every time."

Percy looked at her in confusion, "Fatal Flaw?"

"It is the mental or physical weakness that everyone living being possesses. Yours is stronger than mortals, and even the demigods living here concerning how potent your blood flows with ichor. The fatal flaw you have is ignorance. It is a dangerous and rare one, nearly as dangerous as loyalty. I believe Athena said that the really dangerous flaws are the ones that are good in moderation, and yours is under the criteria."

"Being ignorant is good?"

"Ever heard of the term _Ignorance is Bliss_? If you don't know something, then you don't have to worry about it. Like young demigods before they're thrust into the Greek world. But too much ignorance could be proven fatal. Such as not knowing the full story of an important argument, and making a big decision on it."

"I get it, I just have to control it. But how do I do that?"

The hearth goddess smiled sadly at Percy, "I believe that is a task for yourself. I helped you tonight though, as you were ignorant to the fact that the moment you pass the boundary, Chiron would've been alerted instantly. I already got you out though."

Percy's eyes widened as when he took his eyes off his aunt, he realized he was in the same exact area where he was deposited by Persephone weeks ago. When he turned back, Hestia was gone, in her place was a large zipper bag filled with a dozen cooked chicken patties. On the bag was a note that read.

 _Be careful on the quest.  
_ _Don't worry about your mother and the Hunt, they are currently searching for you in Louisiana.  
_ _The chicken patties will never go cold._

 _May the fates be with you,  
_ _Hestia_

The demigod smiled widely at the note left by her and packed the patties quickly. "Cleveland, here I come."

And with that Percy sprinted down the road, hoping to find a city so he can get a map and figure out where the heck he was going. While running Percy cleared his mind of everything and forced himself to calm down. Seeing city lights, Percy slowed down to admire the view, wondering how he was still sane after everything.

 _My life has changed so much in the past month, wonder how I'm still mentally sane?  
_ _But, then again, those who stay sane during times of insanity are true warriors..._

 _Right?_

* * *

 **A/N: I am so so sorry. Honestly, I am still having fun writing, and I do it every chance I get. But that's the problem, I barely get any chances. But this Author's Note isn't for excuses. On to the chapter.**

 **Percy is in hiding at Camp Half-Blood and posing as a child of Apollo. How do you like that idea, along with how Dionysus is treating the situation. Rick had Mr. D portrayed as an immoral dude in the beginning so I thought Mr. D was pretty canon. Also, what do you think of the relationship between Percy and the Apollo kids? Review if you know exactly what I did.**

 **We got a little insight into the mind of Thalia, marking one of the first major characters to influence Percy. The second character (which is another girl) comes around the Sea of Monsters arc, which is quite literally after the next chapter. Percy has run off to shadow the crew, and who knows what happens next.**

 **Now concerning the reviews. There were a couple asking if I will change the story's rating to M, and I was a little confused by it. I had to read the last chapter a couple of times before asking my friend to point it out because I was lost. We both guessed that it was because of the way Hecate was trying to seduce Percy or the minor torture acknowledgement. If it was the latter than I guess I can see where you're coming from, but honestly you had to use your imagination to truly guess what was going on.**

 **Quick Note: Soon a Pertemis story is going to drop, and I wanted to talk about why Pertemis is a well known ship. As a demigod he was already branded as a decent male, so he's already miles ahead than any other male. Two, if Percy Jackson, son of Poseidon, became a god then one of domains GUARANTEED will be the Tides. Just check his sword, and the fact that his emotions and everything about him mirror the tides. Third, Percy will honestly not try at all in the game of love. Fate or not, the only reason why Percy is with Annabeth is because of Aphrodite meddling. That being said, after waiting a century or so, Zeus will force Percy(who most likely would be single unless married to Calypso or sea princess. Even then it wouldn't matter) to marry his daughter Artemis, knowing that after awhile those two would be fine with each other given the domains of Moon and Tides. It will be the most combat gifted god and goddess, whom would produce exceedingly strong heirs, while also strengthening the ties between Zeus and Poseidon, while also giving another strand of Loyalty that forces Poseidon to keep away from Zeus' throne. Just saying.**

 **Anyways I'm posting this at one thirty in the morning, so this may be a waking up gift for some, while an after midnight snack for those who are up like me. I got school in the morning so enjoy.**

 **Again thanks for even reading. Share to others, like it, add it to your library.**

 **You won't regret it.**


	8. Chapter 8

**Jump**

"We are not going there!"

"Why not? It's along the way, and we still have a full week before the solstice! A little distraction wouldn't hurt!"

Thalia gritted her teeth in annoyance. She loved Annabeth, she really did, and no one could ever say that she didn't. But, love be damned, she has had her fill with the daughter of Athena's antics to last two lifetimes.

The problem was that Annabeth wanted to venture out into the mortal world to see an arch. Apparently this arch significantly more important than the arches they have seen when getting fast food. So important, in fact, that she refuses to stay where it's safe on the train and must go see the ever magnificent arch.

"I swear, I don't care what Percy says! I'll choose whoever I want to go on quests, and he can put a sock in it if he doesn't agree."

The sky's daughter ignored the looks of the wise passengers who also patiently waited for their three-hour layover in their seats. She ground her heel into the carpet and felt herself get even angrier, practically hearing Percy's snicker in her head. She heard it so clearly, that with wide eyes she turned on a swivel to where she thought she heard it, only to find a shadow. But that only made her investigate more closely, as a shadow so thick and dark shouldn't be in a brightly lit train.

"I don't know Thalia. I mean, Annabeth's right, today is only June 13th. That means we have eight days. Three hours wouldn't hurt, it's good to take breaks every once in awhile."

Thalia stopped in her secret pursuit to turn and see Grover sitting next to Annabeth—who was glaring fiercely at Thalia—while chewing on a can. _That he got from Hades knows where._ Thalia closed her eyes and clenched her fist in a showing of extreme self-control.

"Are you serious?!" Thalia raged, again drawing attention from the passengers. So much for self-control. "You want to go too, Grover? After how freaked out you were from seeing the Kindly Ones! And then with Medusa! I didn't even see you when we had to fight her. What were you doing? Oh, I know you were-"

"Thalia!" Annabeth cut her off, knowing she was making everything even worse if the rapidly shrinking form of Grover was anything to go by. They also didn't care anything about their volume, as Thalia's rant quickly drove off all occupants of the train. "We all were scared when the Kindly Ones showed up!"

"I should've been afraid! I was the one who freaking died and turned into a tree!"

"But Medusa, we all weren't able to do anything. If it wasn't for Hades calling her back, we all would've been dead."

Thalia faltered for a second before sitting down with a sigh. Annabeth had not won the argument, not in the slightest, but the moment with Medusa was too odd for her liking. At first, the monster was the kind Aunty Em, an old lady with warm food. But at the sight of Annabeth and realization of her heritage, she transformed into the dreadful snake-headed monster. Thalia kept the blame to herself then, but Medusa proved a challenge that was a little too hard. Right when she made a mistake that almost left her a statue, Medusa was enveloped in a shadow.

Yeah, the daughter of Zeus was immensely grateful for the QuickTime save. And after the monster disappeared, the questers raided the store for any food and money, because her king of a father rather decided that those two items were anything but important and neglected to pack their things with it. But no, Thalia wasn't going to give in.

"So you don't think it would be better to stay in where it's safe?"

"But Thalia-"

"No Annabeth! I've made my decision and where not going! I just don't see why you won't listen to your big sister!"

"Because your not! Well, you are… but no you're really not. Before you were five years older than me, but now your only one year my senior. That's not enough to boss me around anymore!" Annabeth looked up with confidence that was instantly drained at the look of Thalia's face.

Her eyes with bright with anger and electricity flowed through her arms freely. It took everything for Thalia to not lunge at her disrespectful sister—ex-sister—and kill her right now. But she took a deep breath, then several more. She directed her eyes back to her two other questers, who were shaking in their bodies. _Good. She should be scared._

With a simple thought that electricity evaporated, and Thalia pointed her hand out towards the exit. "By all means, Chase. Lead the way."

She would've jumped for joy, but Annabeth was afraid she was going to be seriously hurt. Obviously, she knew that Thalia wouldn't kill her, but the daughter of Athena also knew there were worse fates than death. Her doubts were, unfortunately, proven true as "her senior" bunched her shirt up and yanked her up against the wall. She vaguely heard Grover yelp in surprise.

"But know this _architect_ ," Thalia seethed, the electricity back for its encore performance. "If Grover and I die, guilt will be the last thing to worry about. Hades will have to put all his focus on stopping me from escaping the Underworld to haunt your soul." With that threat deeply massaged into her spirit, the daughter of Zeus dropped Annabeth and nodded her head toward the Arch.

"Let's go."

The trip to the Arch was far too short, in Thalia's opinion. The aura of fear she felt from the Annabeth made her feel superior. She was a daughter of Zeus after all. Their old protector never stopped fidgeting the entire time, as if his fate was previously sealed with Thalia's threat. When they arrived, his teeth wouldn't stop chattering, until Thalia glared and said, "Put a sock in it!" Scared of the girl at the time, he ran into the gift shop and came out with a pair of socks in between his teeth.

If only Juniper was there.

They entered the underground museum, and Grover's whimpers did more than draw a few looks. Seems like that all the trio can do today, draw attention from mortals. Thalia was indifferent to the entire situation, staring at covered wagons and other stuff that derived from the nineteenth century. Thalia's eyes were critical and judged everything her eyes landed on.

It was more than enough to keep Annabeth from yelling out random facts that were interesting at all. Twenty more minutes later and Thalia stopped pressuring the daughter of Athena, more focused on getting out of the area alive.

"Hurry up, I don't like it here. We're underground, and that means monsters."

"It doesn't necessarily mean monsters. It's just common for monsters to be found underground."

"And that makes you feel better? Honestly Annabeth, there has to be a limit."

Annabeth ignored her and continued to read plaques like they should be worshipped more than gods. Taking another calming breath to avoid doing something she would regret, she turned her view onto the satyr, "How are you doing Grover?"

The satyr in question had his face deep in a bag of jelly beans. He pulled his face up and answered, "Better now that I have food."

"Well, you know about our friend downstairs right?"

"I don't really want to think about him right now. Not after what you said earlier."

"Just listen. Doesn't he have a symbol of power?"

"All of the… higher authorities have one."

"Ok, then isn't our friend downstairs, way-way downstairs, symbol a helmet? Something like Annabeth's?"

"The Helm of Darkness," Grover whispered. "It allows him to become darkness."

"Is that it? Doesn't seem very powerful." Thalia slightly wondered just why Hades was so scary. Other than placing her on her deathbed half a decade ago. Which eventually led to her being to become the pine tree.

Nevermind.

"Careful what you say, Thalia. The helm allows him to melt into shadow or pass through walls. It makes him invisible, untouchable, and you can't hear him. He can radiate fear so strong, that he can leave the most fearless with shaky legs."

"So based on your description and what you're doing now. Is he here?"

"Yes, he- No he's not! Why would you even ask-"

"So with that fear and darkness thing. Is that why humans are so afraid of the dark."

"I guess so…" Grover stuffed his face back into his jelly beans.

Thalia wasn't done though, her mind going back to the odd clump of shadow in the train. "Does that mean he could literally be right here. Watching us like rats in a maze?"

That made Grover go tense, and he instantly began searching around him with wide eyes. Annabeth made an irritated sound, "He's not here! If you want to leave so bad, then fine we'll leave."

"Finally! Now let's turn around and-"

"After we go on the elevator," Annabeth smirked and dashed off to the open elevator with Grover in tow. Thalia looked dumbfounded before shrugging her shoulders.

"Eh, I don't care. She needed a win."

She followed after the pair and made it just before the elevator doors shut. They were the only ones inside, along with a lady who could use a few fewer meals and a dog to match. Thalia didn't know how she got the dog past, but could honestly care less.

She was worried about falling to her death. She gripped the bars tightly and focused on her breathing control so she doesn't flip out. _I should've known this thing takes us to the top. We're like six hundred feet in the air!_

The blue-jean blimp decided to make conversation, but Thalia only caught snippets.

"No parents?" The blimp asked.

Annabeth shook her head, "No. They're afraid of heights."

"Much like that little one over there?" Thalia cursed herself and loosened her grip. Only to lose her balance and hold on to the railing like a lifeline.

Thalia wanted to reassure the lady that she was fine, and turned with a small smile. The lady returned it in full… with a forked tongue licking her teeth.

The reaction was instant, fear of heights out of mind, and spear ready. Annabeth was none the wiser, muttering facts about the St. Louis Arch with a smile on her face. Grover, however, was busy trying to ward off the dog that kept bothering him.

"Ma'am," Grover asked. "Do you mind if you could keep your Chihuahua near you? It's kinda trying to bite me."

The lady chuckled lightly, "Chimera dear. Not a Chihuahua, but it's fine. It's quite an easy mistake to make."

Annabeth turned around confused, "Did you just say Chim- GET DOWN!"

She couldn't have said it at a better time. The mysterious lady had rolled up her denim sleeves, revealing that the skin of her arms was scaly and green. When she smiled, Thalia saw that her teeth were fangs. The pupils of her eyes were sideways slits, like a reptile's. They all ducked at the swipe of her claws.

"How delightful!" She cheered, "And no pesky mortals to bother us. Just you, Sonny, and me. Isn't it delightful Sonny?"

The little dog just barked. And with each bark, it grew bigger, until it was the size of a Doberman. And it didn't stop until was the size of a lion. The bark became a roar.

The Chimera eventually became so tall that its back rubbed against the roof. It had the head of a lion with a blood-caked mane, the body and hooves of a giant goat, and a serpent for a tail, a ten-foot-long diamondback growing right out of its shaggy behind. The rhinestone dog collar that was hung around its neck became visible, and the plate-sized dog tag was now easy to read and sent shivers down the quester's spines.

"Get them, Sonny! Oh, how long has it been since I was able to test a demigod! And what a delectable group as well. Tell me, daughter of Athena," the snake lady turned her sights to the pale form of Annabeth. "Can you inform your friends on exactly who I am."

Annabeth audibly gulped and it brought a sound of hunger from the Chimera, "If I'm right, then right now we're seeing the Echidna. Mother of all Monsters."

Grover was whimpering as the Chimera set its sight on him, but Thalia had kept switching her eyes from both monsters. She heard what Annabeth said, and unfortunately, her ADHD got the best of her, "Isn't that an animal? Like an anteater?"

She howled, her reptilian face turning brown and green with rage. "I hate it when people say that! I hate Australia! Naming that ridiculous animal after me. For that, Thalia Grace, my son will kill you all!"

With that, the Chimera charged, its lion teeth gnashing. Annabeth and Thalia rolled out of the way, but at the sound of the pain-stricken scream of Grover, the demigoddesses watched as their third member was eaten alive.

Annabeth was frozen, almost as if she was the one who was turned into a pine tree and not Thalia. Thalia, however, could only see red as she let out a scream of anger and unknowingly launched a thunderbolt towards the beast. It was right on target and threw the monster through the closed elevator doors.

There were screams of terror and fright as the mist was destroyed and mortals were able to see Echidna and her son physically. People began rushing towards the emergency exits, parents grabbing children, and the park ranger stood petrified at the sight of the Chimera.

The said monster, on the other hand, opened its immense mouth and blew a column of stifling hot flames. Thalia and Annabeth expertly rolled out of the way, but the blast of fire left a rather large hole in the side of the Arch.

The daughter of Zeus could care less, as while she did know she just partook in the destruction of a national monument, she also knew that she wasn't suspended in the air inside of a metal death trap. Annabeth, who rolled opposite Thalia during the Chimera's blast, looked identical to the park ranger, staring at the hole looking like she was going to go bananas. If it wasn't for Thalia's outburst, her head would've been separated from her shoulders.

It was all in vain because, despite the timely dodge, it forced her to retreat a few steps. Annabeth couldn't even swing her knife—which, despite the delay, was eventually unsheathed—because the Mother of Monsters was too quick with her swipes. When Annabeth did land a hit on her scales, she learned the hard way that the scales were tougher than her lion son's pelt. In fact, her celestial bronze weapon was lodged in Echidna's arm.

Panic was welded within the daughter of Athena, and in a display of high-level skill, performed a series of intricate moves to dodge the monster, and got her hands on the prize. But dread filled her soul when a malicious smile was illustrated onto Echidna's face. Annabeth was successful in retrieving her knife, but couldn't say the same about having her neck snatched up. With a jubilant laugh, she tossed the demigod through the air, as if she was practicing catch with a younger child. Knowing this woman, she very well could be.

Meanwhile, Thalia was suffering through the hardest fight of her life. It was like deadly samba, with the wrong move and she would be dead. She was able to consistently get a couple stabs but found her efforts futile.

 _Who killed the Chimera in the myths? Belle? The princess? Wait no, Bellerophon!_ Thalia was in overdrive and managed to sidestep the charge and bite from the she-goat and land an electrified hit with her spear. It pierced the side, but she wasn't strong enough to make the cut deep. _Don't try to plunge the spear into its throat, it'll just melt it. It could suffocate it… no. I like this spear._

She moved once more to avoid the Chimera's flames and was glad to see that when it hit the emergency exit, all civilians were gone. _But how am I gonna get down? Maybe I could- WOAH!_ In the nick of time, she was able to get out the way of another charge. She cursed herself for having to fight for so long, _It literally only bites or spits flames! How did anyone struggle with this monster?_

She risked a glance over to Annabeth and watched in terror as the girl was thrown out of the Arch into the Mississippi River below.

"Annabeth!" Thalia yelled, but it was too late. She couldn't even take time to comprehend the situation because her gut told her to move. Out of pure exasperation, Thalia tried to end the beast by stabbing it in its throat. But with everything is going on, she forgot about the rhinestone collar. Her spear ricocheted off of the collar and went tumbling behind her. She was frozen in a stupor as the Chimera cornered her.

"What a great idea sonny!" Thalia almost forgot that Echidna was still here. She glared at Annabeth's, and soon-to-be hers, killer. "Fling her into Poseidon's domain. He's been restless for years. No doubt he'll have fun finding his brother's daughter."

At the encouragement of his vile mother, the Chimera charged with all its might. Thalia closed her eyes, raised her shield, and waited for impact. She didn't hear anything, the anxiety of facing her fear of heights overwhelming her. Only when the wait became unbearable, did she look over to see a shadowy figure fighting the monster.

Echidna was yelling her distaste at the figure, shouting something along the lines of, "This isn't fair!" and "You're getting ruining my fun!"

Thalia tentatively lowered her shield and could only make flashes of silver constantly swiping across the monster. The Chimera voiced his pain and frustration, spitting out flames everywhere, hoping to hit its attacker.

But even though the shadow seemed to be handling its own, the sky's daughter knew it would eventually be in Echidna and Chimera's favor. She seemed to not be the only one who thought this, as the figure jumped on its back and rode it like a cowboy would ride a bull. Thalia would've laughed, had not the figure shouted, "Go! Jump! Into the River!"

Thalia looked back and down outside to view the body of water. Nothing about it looked appealing. Not the breathtaking blue it was exhibiting. Not the few ships that were docked in it, the only added to the beauty of the river. And definitely not the exhilarating six hundred and thirty-foot drop. _Better call Thanatos right now. Because there is no way I'm jumping._

She turned around and she swore she caught a frown on the shadow, "I can't do it! It's too high!"

"JUMP INTO THE RIVER NOW!"

Thalia bristled at being told what do but turned around anyways. "I guess we're going to Hades quicker than we thought. Huh, Annabeth?" She muttered to herself. After taking an extra second to reinforce her nerves, Thalia jumped into the river.

Screaming her face off the entire time.

She didn't think about her life, no deep revelations or thoughts on the graveness of the situation. Actually, for the first time in a long time, Thalia Grace's mind was as unclouded and empty as a blank canvas. Too bad she was falling to her untimely death. As she reached the river, her senses were overwhelmed and she fell unconscious.

Five minutes later, she woke up at the bottom of the river. She gasped for air on instinct and kept doing so, thinking she was on the verge of dying. She tried her best to swim or float, but really was just grabbing dirt or foliage. She continued to make a fool of herself for a few for minutes before, "Are you done yet?"

Thalia stopped and turned to the voice. She puzzled on how she was still alive at first, but now here was a god talking to her at the bottom of the Mississippi River. And not just any god, but her uncle himself: Poseidon, god of the seas.

For most of the gods, Thalia had a pretty good idea of what she thought they would look like. She imagined Hades as an emo, Apollo as some young average teenager, Aphrodite as some girl who wears the newest designer clothing, and Demeter as a farm girl dressed in overalls. And she looks like she hit square on the nose with her fishy uncle.

He dressed exactly like a fisherman. He wore a cap adorned with fishing lures that read _Neptune's Lucky Fishing Hat._ He wore a Tommy Bahama shirt with seashells and seaweed all over it, khaki shorts, and leather sandals. He had shoulder-length black hair(much like her own), a neatly trimmed beard, a deep tan, and sea-green eyes. She looked down towards his scarred hands and saw a golden trident, where she hoped a fishing rod would be.

She dropped into a bow as quick as being could underwater, "Lord Poseidon."

"Rise demigod. And do not bow or show any formalities again. I have things to speak on, and not enough time to do so." He commanded. She rose quickly and stood awkwardly in front of him. She still wasn't exactly comfortable, she didn't know how she was breathing, her uncle who had every right and chance to kill her was here. To add more salt to the water, Thalia swore that a small school of fish were, dare she say, _laughing_ at her. She couldn't tell, it's not like she could speak fish.

When she stopped watching the fish, who she thought was mocking her, she focused her attention on the sea god with quivering lips. _Wait… quivering lips?_

"Am I being pranked?" Thalia asked, feeling anger course through her veins. At that, the dam was broken, and the King of Atlantis let out a booming laugh that shook the entire river. Thalia fell to her knees as she felt like she was in a movie theatre with how loud he laughed, and pretty sure tremors were felt down in Louisiana and up in Minnesota.

One minute and massive migraine later, Poseidon watched on with a soft smile as his niece tried to piece herself back together. When he was sure she had all of her mental horses in their stables, he continued in a much softer, kinder tone, "I'm sorry, my mother said I received my childish humor from her. Well, that and my eyes. Now, I do believe you're wondering how you are alive, and currently still alive. Correct?"

Thalia nodded numbly, not exactly feeling her best self after experiencing an underwater headache. Poseidon's grin slightly grew at her response, but answer anyway, "I allowed the water to cushion your fall, and then carry to me at the bottom of the river."

Thalia's eyes widened, as her mind quickly imagined what would've happened had not Poseidon intervened. She opened her mouth to speak, but Poseidon waved her off. "There is no need to thank me. Now there are species of naiads in my domain with a special ability to heal and have developed a scale that allows the people I rule over to breathe easier. It's mainly for those who are on their last leg of life, makes it not a bother for them. Well once I willed you to come to me, I placed the scale on you, allowing you to breathe. If you would check your wrist…"

Poseidon gestured with his hand, and Thalia rolled her sleeves up to check. She let out a low gasp when her eyes caught a glittering diamond-shaped scale that on her skin. It looked as if it was tattooed on her skin and it was a little too bright for her usual dark taste. But even then, the daughter of Zeus couldn't deny that it was, "Gorgeous." She breathed.

"Isn't it? My wife called it bewitching. I'll admit I was confused until I learned that it meant attractive. For fifty years she never let me hear the end of it." He said with a smile.

Thalia was surprised at the laid-back nature of her godly uncle. He was making jokes and talking to her as if they were having catching up on each other's history at the Thanksgiving table. And for him to care so much, when he should be trying to kill her. For the first time, she felt a family connection with an immortal from the Greek world. Without thinking she lunged forward and hugged him.

The sea king was astounded at the actions of his niece but quickly reciprocated the hug. After a second, Thalia realized what she was doing, and jumped out of the embrace like she just touched a white-hot coal.

"I'm sorry," she muttered before coughing, trying anything to fix the delicacy of the situation. "I believe you wanted to tell me something."

"Yes, well…" Poseidon trailed off and then frowned noticing how the demigod before him shrunk into a reclusive shell. He flushed his hand into his pocket and took out a small satchel of Atlantean pearls. He held them out to her, "I wanted to give you these."

Thalia gingerly plucked the satchel out of his hands and opened it. "Pearls." She announced.

"Yes, made directly from my forges. When you are in need, smash a pearl at your feet."

She picked one up and examined it. Again she was enthralled by the beauty of the gems. "Why did you give this to me."

"Because," He said, "I can feel him. I can't see him, I haven't been able since he was born. And again I have lost sight of him. Yet, I can practically smell his scent coming off of you. Faint as it is, he's been around you. Even before you fell, he was just near you. You probably didn't even realize it."

Thalia's furrowed her eyebrows in confusion, "Who? Are you talking about that shadow? I'm sorry, but I don't know who that is."

Poseidon responded with a smile and shook his head, "No matter, you'll need it for where you're going. As you do know, I did not steal your father's bolt. But honestly, I don't believe our other brother did either."

"So who do you think took it?"

"That," he said, "is up to you to find out."

"I thought gods can't talk to us mortals."

"Ah, the gods can't directly influence their children. But you technically aren't my child." He grinned as Thalia loosened up, and shook her head in exasperation.

"But listen, niece," the sea god started, "there are three pearls in there. And that shadow… I don't know if you'll find him but…"

"I understand. I don't exactly know what I'm looking for, but when I go into Hades' realm I'll… I'll try my hardest to keep a lookout, Lord Poseidon."

This time Poseidon had a wide smile on his face, "Thank you niece, that is all I could ask for. And call me Uncle P, your Olympian half-brothers, Apollo and Hermes, do anyhow. Now, remember this, for it is important: what belongs to the sea will always return to the sea. Except you will return to Santa Monica Bay. Now I already sent the daughter of Athena on her way, she doesn't know it was me, but she is beyond worried that you are dead. Hurry, your train departs in twenty minutes."

With a wave of his trident, a strong current grasped Thalia and pulled her up to the surface. His smile was interchanged with a frown as he watched her retreating form. He stroked his beard as he thought about his niece's reaction to the hug. _She was so frightened to interact with her own uncle._

Poseidon could remember that when all his children were born, he raised them with love and care, just as any mortal parent would. The good parents anyway. Sure he made mistakes, such as sending Kymopoleia off to be married to Briares, but she was disruptive. He knew that Zeus was cruel to his demigod children, but not on a level as personal as this. _I guess this is why we stay away from demigods. Nevertheless, change must come._

With a sigh, the King of Atlantis faded out of the Mississippi River to return to his throne.

Thalia jumped out of the river without a splash, and without a drop of water on her being. She smiled internally at not being wet but frowned at the crowd in front of her. It seems that the police and authorities are still trying to contain the scene, so Thalia quickly ran past it to the train that would soon be leaving.

It took a few minutes, considering they arrived at the arch via cab, but she made it with five minutes to spare. She got in just as the doors shut and the conductor announced that they'll be leaving shortly. When she reached her train car(which was thankfully a private sleeper car), she found it empty. Confused, Thalia searched around before hearing someone sniff vigorously.

With a small sigh, Thalia approached the door to the bathroom and knocked, effectively stopping all sound on the other side. "Annabeth," she said, "Come outside. It's me, Thalia. Let's talk."

After a few moments, the door opened up speedily. What was seen wasn't a proud daughter of Athena, with perfect princess curls and an excellent tan, but a broken, grief-stricken, and hurting twelve-year-old girl. And the girl wasn't looking for her questmate, who she rudely disrespected, but her older sister she traveled the world with.

And Thalia couldn't help but become that person for Annabeth. The daughter of Zeus felt her eyes get watery as she deliberately held out her arms. Instantaneously, she felt her body be pushed back into the bed across from the restroom, just as she felt the train lurch forward continuing on to its original destination.

Thalia sat up and wrapped her arms in a firm hold on the shivering form of Annabeth. She felt her shirt slowly becoming soaked with tears, as the daughter of Athena reciprocated Thalia's hold, muttering, "I'msorryI'msorryI'msorry."

Thalia just quietly shushed her and pulled a comb out the wet locks of Annabeth's hair. She told the younger girl that she forgave her, that everyone makes mistakes, and to not think about it. After a half-hour, and the setting of the sun, Thalia laid her head back on the wall while pulling a cover to wrap around Annabeth.

She was more than a little sad that Grover died. He was a brave satyr, but even the way he died wasn't anything special to tell anyone about. The only thing the daughter of Zeus could take solace in was that Annabeth was humbled. The daughter of Athena most definitely felt a strong hit on her soul on the repercussions of letting her hubris get the best of her. Thalia took another reassuring breath to calm herself before closing her eyes. It didn't take long for her consciousness to drift off to the realm of Morpheus.

The shadows grew and shrunk until finally, the figure from before hopped out. He looked at the two sleeping demigods with a small smirk before fixing them so that they slept comfortably in their own beds. He turned back to the shadow he came from, before twisting back to look at Thalia. "I guess that jumping from high heights wasn't so bad after all. Right, Thals?" With that he jumped back into the shadow, leaving the two demigods unaware.

* * *

 _Two silver eyes watched on with yearning as girls, ages ranging from twelve to sixteen, were laughing and playing together. The owner of the eyes sighed as he watches yet another hunter jumped off the steep waterfall to gracefully crash into the water below and noticed a small group following the path leading them back up to the peak of the aqueous cascade._

 _As yet another one jumped off, the silvery eyeballs were laced with what could only be described as utmost determination. He looked at him and leaned about to see if his caretaker was nearby. He took a few careful steps to look behind trees and near a rock that he thought to suspicious to not check. Once he approved of his findings, he turned his attention to the waterfall thirty-five feet away from him and proceeded to creep upon his target._

 _If only he looked up._

 _The demigod only traveled five feet before freezing. His senses being five times stronger than most of his kind, he heard a branch fall down from a tree. Turning around to examine it, he realized that the branch was intentionally broken. But most importantly he realized the most important fact of all: he's been made._

 _Not wasting any time, he spins back towards the waterfall and breaks out into a full-on sprint. His fears were confirmed as his vigilant ears picked up feet running fast on the forest floor behind him._

 _He was close, so close, but the ones behind him were gradually gaining on him. A large log came into view with branches sticking out the side. With practiced dexterity, he hopped over the log while pulling the branches back so they slingshot back into his pursuer. He grinned as he heeded an annoyed grunt behind him, only for the footsteps to pound harder and faster behind him._

 _Relief was evident on the demigod's face as the end of the path, and it reached his eyes as the sounds of rushing rapids overwhelmed his hearing. With a cry of triumph, he jumped over the ledge and close his eyes, preparing for the rush of adrenaline and boost of endorphins into his system. He let out a longer whoop of excitement, expecting the plunge pool of water to engulf his body whole._

 _His whoop slowly died off as he noticed that he was hovering in the air, instead of what he wanted, which was plunging into the watery depths below. He felt a pair of hands holding him under his arms that he immediately knew to be his mother's. With a groan, he looked over to where the hunters were sitting to see them looking back at him with confusion._

 _It was the ever unsympathetic Phoebe who broke the tension in the air, her laugh cutting the jitters out. The hunters hastily followed after her, and the area around them was nothing but giggles and shrieks. The last thing he saw was Zoe jogging over to them, with an easygoing smile adorning her elegant Persian features._

 _He was turned around and met the disapproving look of his mother. He gave a guilty grin at her appearance. Her hair was all over the place, clothes had holes and rips in multiple spots on her clothes, and two red bruises across her right cheek and right arm. She was usually immaculate in her image, but it would take someone of his caliber to do this to her._

 _She kept holding him as if she was a small child holding a new teddy bear given to her for Christmas. Artemis turned around and took ten large steps away from the ledge and placed him on the ground. With a snap of her fingers, her clothes and looks were back to the usual perfection. When she looked back to where she placed him, he had the nerve to look behind at her hunters who continued to enjoy their day off. Yet, with another snap, his focus was back on her._

" _Percy," she started slowly, "What do you think you were doing?"_

" _Mom, come on. Everyone is having fun and we're just sitting around in the woods." Percy said._

" _But I wanted to have a special day for the two us. I let you come with me on a hunt."_

" _Mom, really? I go on hunts with Zoe and Phoebe and any of the other hunters. We always have special hunts."_

 _Artemis bit her lip in nervousness, something she unknowingly never done before in front of Percy, and served to take hold of his attention while she lost herself in thought._

 _She really didn't have a reason for not allowing Percy to enjoy his day at the waterfall, other than the off chance that Poseidon might feel him in the water. The sea god has been moody ever since the Winter Solstice years ago when Hades told him that Sally Jackson was dead. The conversation was away from Zeus, but Artemis stayed near to hear it, before returning to help her hunters watch the six-month-old, crawling, demigod baby._

 _But his blood was that of the hunt, not of the sea, so there is little reason to be worried about. But the thought of placing her six-year-old son in danger, or even the idea of him being stolen from her, was enough to make her enter her divine form. So she did everything in her power to keep him away but looks like she can't do that anymore._

 _Still frozen in thought and anticipation, Zoe reached them and wished she had a camera. The Lieutenant of the Hunt knew her mistress's tells, and instantly knew what she was nervous about. But apparently, Percy noticed her lip biting and was trying it out himself. She watched in amusement as the son of Artemis tried biting his lip, comparing it to his mothers, not approving, and restarting the cycle._

" _Milady," Zoe called, effectively drawing her out of negative thoughts that would only get worse. "I strongly believe that whatever horrible sequences you believe will happen, won't. He really wants to enjoy the falls with us, I think you should both join us, milady."_

 _Artemis searched Zoe's eyes to see if she truly believed what she said, and was slightly peeved that she found no lies. She twisted her head back to her son and felt all her walls on the topic fall. Because when she locked eyes with her son, she also was met with the adorable sight of him biting his lip exactly she does._

" _Fine, we can go." She muttered._

 _Percy's eyes lit up like a Christmas tree and tried to run back to the edge, only to be forced back by Zoe's iron-like grip on his collar. "Slow down Percy, you can't go in the water dressed like that."_

 _The daughter of Atlas sat cross-legged and placed the squirming demigod on her lap, and progressed to taking off his clothes and placing him in shorts provided by Artemis. Once done, they looked back at the goddess expectantly, which she responded with a, "What?"_

" _I had to change. You have to change to mom," Percy said._

 _Artemis physically blinked, "I'm not changing Percy, someone might see me. I am a maiden goddess."_

" _I doubt any god would dare test you milady," Zoe cut in._

" _Please, mom." Again, Percy busted out his new lip-biting move, which really shouldn't be effective, but he had Artemis wrapped around his finger._

 _With a sigh, Artemis snapped her fingers and her hunter's garb was switched for some modest swimwear. She wore leggings with a swim-skirt, with a silver long sleeve shirt. All the hunters were identical in clothing as their mistress._

 _She picked up Percy and walked to the ledge before hesitating, "Percy… I don't know. Maybe we could-."_

" _Jump into the waterfall mom! Jump now!"_

 _Artemis again hesitated in nervousness and looked over at her hunters who were beckoning her on. They all chanted for her to jump and she sighed again in defeat._

 _She took a few steps back, checked her hold on Percy, rushed forward, and leaped into the waterfall. Percy was screaming his head off in excitement, and the maiden goddess could see Zoe and the other hunters jumping with her._

 _The water came closer and closer, until finally catching them in a graceful submersion. Artemis was quick to surface and absolutely glowed at the happy laughs coming from Percy._

 _He clung to her tightly as they walked up the path to get back to the peak. Artemis was more than relieved that nothing happened, and was reassured on trying something like this elsewhere. Percy, pulled his mom along, eager to jump off again._

 _The moon goddess relented, making a silent revolution to keep making her son smile as many times as possible._

* * *

Percy had a frown on his face he stared back into the eyes of the Lord of the Dead. He didn't understand why he was received this way, and he wasn't going to push around. Even if it is the eldest son of Kronos.

"Why are you here?" Hades seethed. Persephone placed a hand on his shoulder from throne behind him, making the demigod in question think something more was happening. But, in reality, he just couldn't care.

Ignorance was his fatal flaw.

"The deal was to train me. Almost a month has passed, and no word from you."

"I will," he bellowed, "but as for right now, I have other things to tend to."

Percy rolled his eyes and snorted, "What could be so important?"

"You insolent brat," Hades roared, standing up off his throne and unlocking a small fragment of his power. It wasn't anything special to a god but was more than sufficient in forcing Percy onto his knees. "Have you forgotten whose home you stand in! I am the Lord of the Riches and the Dead, the Ruler of the Underworld you stand in now! And I'll be damned-."

"What my Husband is trying to say," Persephone cut in, "is that his helm has been stolen. The day we sent you off to camp, in fact. So your sarcasm, that you're really not known for might I add, is not very favorable at this moment."

She stood beside her husband and, this time placed her hand on his chest. The reaction immediate, Hades reigned in his power and sat down on his throne. Percy was able to stand but only ascended into a bow out of respect. "Forgive me Lord Hades, I was naive in my actions."

Hades wanted to send him to the Fields of Punishment, but at the stern look from his wife, decided against it. "Rise, but do not make the same mistake."

The demigod did as he was told, but Hades could see the irritated look in the boy's eyes shift into tenacity, grit, and dedication. "If I may, milord, I have been following a group of demigods. They are currently on their way here to question you on the matter of the bolt Zeus is missing."

The god waved his hand and said, "Very well," as if everything he was told was the last centuries' news.

"I have followed them, to learn who has shamed my name in saying I stole the bolt."

This made the Lord of the Dead massage his temples in minor dissatisfaction, "Perseus, it was my younger brother who shamed your name. The actual swindler just got fortuitous is all."

Percy just looked down at the cold tile, "I understand. But if I may once again. The camp knew about Zeus' missing bolt. How come no one was alerted about your Helm of Darkness."

"I have said nothing of the helm's disappearance," Hades said, "because I had no illusions that anyone on Olympus would offer me the slightest justice, the slightest help Perseus."

"But… that's really wrong."

"It doesn't matter. The daughter of Zeus has stolen it, and when she brings it to me I'll strike her down."

Percy looked up in shock, "What? No Thalia didn't do it, there must have been some mistake. It isn't possible-."

"I know. Because she was brought back to the land of the living the same time as the meeting took place. But that other one she is with, not so innocent is she?"

Percy wanted to protest, _But there weren't any demigods at the meeting,_ but Hades snapped his fingers and a small throne was formed next to Hades', opposite of Persephone.

The Queen was the one to gesture to the seat, "Sit down Perseus. I came to calm his nerves before the questers come, and I have fulfilled my intentions. You can stay and keep him calm when they arrive unless winter should come in June." She didn't leave any time for protest, and Percy was quickly flashed into the throne.

"Now you," the goddess of springs pointed at Hades, "don't be so angry. Keep an open mind." She flashed out before either male could protest. Hades started muttering to himself, to what Percy thought was different tortures. The demigod himself got comfortable and showed off his training with the shadows by encasing himself within them.

"Alright, great-uncle, we have a lot of time to ourselves. Now, why don't we talk about our feelings and whatnot." Percy smirked a smirk that could only be seen by the master of darkness. "But keep the massive might and fury to yourself, alright?"

Hades groaned on his throne.

* * *

 **A/N: Merry Christmas! Do me a solid(Haha), and review what you got. This is my present to all of you for staying with me so long.**

 **I'm absolutely enjoying myself when it comes to this story and rushed to get it you all today. But it was then when I realized something important: Never rush your story. When you try to quicken it, you make mistakes. Not necessarily grammar, but in the plot. Slow down if you have to but never speed up. I intended this to be a single chapter concerning the Lighting Thief Arc, but now it's going to be two. And that's perfectly fine.**

 **Poor Grover, but I could honestly care less. He served his purpose and provided me with a strong four paragraphs worth of screen time. Which was way more than Juniper so...**

 **Recently, I have read that in an interview that Rick Riordan revealed that Thalia actually had a crush on Percy. Reading back you could actually tell but I don't know how to feel about that, but I may or may not have been searching for Percy &Thalia romance fics. You should review or PM(Pm is best) any good stories. It would be extremely helpful since I wrote a chapter and everything, but I don't know though. Btw check your PMs, I like to respond to reviews and sometimes you contact me first. When I try to respond I don't get an answer. What's up with that?**

 **Oh and for those who do Pm and say Percy/Hera for the pairing, here's another treat. Search up, "The Queen's Affair" and "Someone Who Understands". The first one is an uncompleted story but a good chunk is done where you can be satisfied. The other is an incredible one-shot, one of the best in one-shots in general. Lastly, search up "July", another amazing one-shot.**

 **Review, Review, Review. We are hitting awesome milestones in terms of favorites and follows, but reviews are a million times important to me. Pleaseeeeee, for Christmas? And also again, PM me. As always I'll love writing and will continue anyhow, and I hope you enjoyed this lengthy chapter.**

 **Again thanks for even reading. Share to others, like it, add it to your library.**

 **You won't regret it.**


	9. Chapter 9

**Vengeance**

Artemis knew he was there somewhere.

 _He has to be,_ she thought, _It only makes sense._

She felt his presence from her chariot and has been following it for a half-hour now. She pretty much had him only a few steps ahead of her, before losing him a large crowd of people. In Arizona of all places, she should've known, but it didn't matter. She was finding him no matter what.

After a group of overzealous girls past her by, sporting basketball jerseys of whatever team resides in this state, she caught sight of him. Or maybe he was waiting for her because immediately they locked eyes. She waited in apprehension, lingering to see what his first move will be. His right-hand twitches and she tenses, expecting an attempt to run. He obviously noticed her harden stance, and relaxes.

He turns toward the nearby parking lot, pauses to look over his shoulder, and begins walking, and Artemis swears she hears him sigh. She follows him, constantly having to dodge some hysterical mortal raving over something insignificant, but she follows because it's urgent. They needed to talk, even if she did cause all the mayhem that is temporarily their lives.

Eventually, they arrived at the back of the parking lot, where a cherry-red Maserati sat. It grew a slight glow at his arrival, and he didn't waste any time in entering. She hurried her pace, worried that he might take off without her, which was a high probability. She was able to get to the passenger's side by the time she heard the engine and slid in promptly.

He pressed his foot on the engine and progressed to leave the parking lot. She looked out the car window to view stadium lights. She read the sign, _Talking Stick Resort Arena,_ and furrowed her eyebrows in confusion. She eats, sleeps, lives and, hunts in the woods but she had to be given a little credit for her confusion. She was way behind on the mortal customs, but she knew wasn't wrong in thinking that name was weird.

The car drove on for a good ten more minutes, before having to stop at a red light. Artemis couldn't take it any longer, realizing she had to initiate the conversation, "Apollo."

The man in question leaned back into his seat, his left hand on the steering wheel, and turned to her to look her in her eyes. His deep blue eyes gave her a once over before looking ahead again. "Artemis," he said, face devoid of his natural smile, "you should really change your clothes. You look out of place."

She looked down at her hunters uniform and realized he was right. They were in Phoenix, Arizona for Zeus' sakes, the city that has recorded some of the hottest temperatures. Wearing a thick parka, with snow pants and snow boots. With a snap of her fingers, her clothes faded into a silver long sleeve shirt, black sweatpants, and normal sneakers. Just because it was hot city doesn't mean she was showing skin anytime soon.

At the sound of her of fingers, Apollo gained a knowing smirk before shifting his body so he faced forward fully with both hands on the steering wheel. At the change of the light, Apollo took off, totally disregarding the speed limits. But what were rules to gods?

"What were you doing in that arena?" Artemis asked, in an attempt at conversation.

"The basketball playoffs ended last month, officially ending the season. But they like to have exhibition games and the fans come regardless. The team is named after me anyway."

"It is? The team is called Apollo?"

He had to bite his tongue to keep himself from asking 'Why do you care?', and instead said, "The suns. They're called the Phoenix Suns. And you know what? I was there to find a girl. That is until I felt you enter the city. I knew you were looking for me, so I only got an address."

When he pulled out a small piece paper with purple ink on it with his right hand, he immediate switched over to his left. Artemis still tried to take it, but Apollo slapped her hand away, "You're not getting the paper Artemis."

She glared at her twin brother, "I'm not letting you take advantage of a young girl."

"Oh, really? Just like how you took advantage of your son," He questioned. He looked over and relished in how she sunk into her seat, "Oh, I'm sorry. Was it too soon?"

"Shut up."

"No," was the simple answer. Now it was his turn to grill her, "Why are you here? Don't you know when you're wanted and when your not?"

"I need to talk to you, Apollo," she uncharacteristically pleaded. "Please, you're my brother."

Apollo wasn't even driving on the street anymore, but desert plain. And at the last statement, he slammed his foot on the brake, making the car produce sounds a car should never produce. When it came to a stop, he hopped out and slammed the door. He slammed the door so hard, in fact, that he essentially broke the door so that it couldn't open.

He stomped on over to the front of the car and sat on the hood. Artemis could only see that he was muttering to himself and only decided that she should get out when he slammed his fit into the hood of the car, dramatically making a dent. She tried to calm him down, "Apollo, just listen-"

"BE QUIET," he shouted, before calming down, "just stop talking."

And she did, knowing she had no place to argue. She took the time to assess his attire. He wore his usual muscle shirt to show off his slightly defined arms, and also some jean shorts. They looked like someone took scissors to them and shredded them, but Artemis brushed it off as some stupid mortal custom. He had on some flip flops as well, which what she thought were mini suns. His appearance made her think of the young maiden he would soon taint, and her anger almost made her miss Apollo, who was beginning to speak.

"You think you have the right? You can just come out and call me brother, just because you are going through a bad moment in your life."

Her eyebrows furrowed in confusion, "What do you mean _right_? I helped Mother give birth to you."

"For millennia, I have just been that 'annoying male who wouldn't leave you alone'. Now because you're extremely sad, you want me to open my arms and help you. You probably didn't even come to me first, probably went to Athena or Hestia before me."

"I-It matters not!" Her hesitation proved his point, but was oblivious to it, "If I come to you, you should always be there-"

"No, Artemis! That isn't how it works! You haven't called me brother in millennia, ever since Rome fell. The only reason you're talking to me now is that you're so insecure."

"I am not," Artemis childishly retorted, complete with a childish stomp.

She expected a childish response back but he surprisingly took the mature route, "Did you not change your clothes just because I critiqued it?"

"I… I changed it because-"

"Didn't you keep Percy away from water because you were afraid of Poseidon? Doesn't every person who knows Percy, had to find out by themselves because you were hiding him? Didn't even after the council knew about him, it took hours for you to bring him on the Summer Solstice?"

"That doesn't mean anything?"

"It means you're insecure! I mean, honestly, your life should be called, Artemis: Lies, Pride, and Insecurities. You lie and sneak around doing things you shouldn't. Then, you get super uptight about it, and when everyone learns about your lie your pride gets in the way. Leaving some poor victim dead."

Artemis was absolutely infuriated at what her twin was insinuating, _That isn't true, none of it is._ She was going to counter back with something despicable, but Apollo was on a roll.

"I bet," he started before pausing, as if he was weighing the severity of his next statement, "I bet you didn't even bat an eye when… when Zeus offered to kill him."

That eradicated any building momentum the moon goddess had, and then made her fall into a bottomless pit. "What? No, I didn't know that he would kill him." That wasn't a lie, if she had truly known Zeus' intentions then she would've never sent Percy to get packed up. The most she expected was a punishment, but not death.

Apollo, however, gave a bitter laugh before locking his cold cobalt eyes onto the pale silver ones of Artemis, "This is Zeus we're talking about Artemis. Zeus! Even the mortals know that he's well-known for killing demigods that he believes are too powerful. But you… you have to be the first one to willingly give up their child."

Artemis opened her mouth but no words came out, her soul taking a spiritual beating at the hands of Apollo's words. Apollo would've laughed at her, as she looked like she gasping for air, but he still wasn't finished. "He's tried to kill everyone's children, including mine. Seventy years ago he killed Hades' children, justifying it by saying that Hades was too involved with them."

"He was…" Artemis tried, but the glare she has never seen from her brother was slightly scaring her. It was so paralyzing, that for a second she truly thought she was the little sister.

"He killed them because he thought Hades was raising them to destroy Olympus! He has gone after everyone's children and killed them all. But we all tried our hardest to protect them, unlike you."

Artemis tried her best to stay strong, but she could feel the tears in her eyes, the shifting of her feet, and the trembling of her hands. "I didn't come here for you to catechize me Apollo, I was looking for-"

"What, someone to make you feel better? Someone that can help you see the light in these dark times of need? You're not finding that person anytime soon, Artemis, because this is our way of evening the score for what you did to Percy. Gods, he's probably still out there, in parts unknown, watching over his shoulder to make sure you don't find him."

That destroyed the dam and now the tears were flowing freely, "And how would you know?"

"Do you want to know? You don't get to know. Not after you tried to kill him." Apollo internally rejoiced as he broke his sister mentally. He thought it was about time, for millennia of being ridiculed and for what she did to Percy. But eventually, as he watched Artemis fall to her knees sobbing, the 'big brother' within him started to reach out to her.

But he didn't want to reach out, to comfort her. He wanted her to cry, wanted her to feel emotional pain. How was fair that he had to keep hurting throughout the centuries, but she gets to feel perfectly fine. That her hunters get to be immortal, even if it is partial, but his children had to die _consistently._

"You know it's probably for the best, Artemis. Really, I'm serious. This girl, the one who gave me her address, is most likely going to be my last moment of pleasure and happiness before the war starts. The solstice is tomorrow and alas, Zeus' bolt is still nowhere to be found. Sides are going to have to be picked, demigods will be gathered, and the mortal world will be the battleground. You should take solace in the fact that Percy won't be involved in any aspect of it, wherever he is."

It wasn't exactly something for her to take comfort in, but it stopped the miserable, sniveling mess of the goddess before him. She wiped her nose and eyes with her shirt sleeve and she stood up with shaky legs. Artemis couldn't meet her brother's eyes as she steadily walked over to sit with him on his car's hood.

"So," she began, hoping against hope that he'll talk to her, "you're really not going to help me?"

Her heart dropped when he snorted and looked away from her, "Why don't you try Leto? You do remember her right?"

"Of course I do! Why would you even think that?"

Apollo rolled his eyes before pulling out his signature sunglasses, "I only assumed you did forget her, you haven't visited since Rome came into power. That's like, two thousand years ago, Artemis. I visit three times a year and she would always say that you never stopped by. That's when I just stopped asking, I was tired of reminding mother that you think your hunters are more important than your own mother."

The virgin moon goddess bit her tongue, not wanting Apollo to say any more snide remarks about her recent failures. Instead, she took a deep breath and bunched her hands to form a fist. She didn't want to admit but her younger brother was right, she has forsaken a lot of things, allowing her pride to make her uncommonly arrogant.

She found weird that the council wouldn't speak to her after her betrayal concerning her son was known. She expected cruel remarks similar to Apollo's, but she wasn't spoken to all. Most would appreciate the silent treatment, but it was fatal for Artemis. The truth was, she didn't know what to do if she found her son, if she even could. And not having an opinion from anyone was destroying her very existence.

It was poetic in a way, the respected goddess of the hunt failing in tracking down her son. Her son that she drove away. She and her hunters were able to pick up the faintest trail, that was constantly lost, and trailed him down into a city in Kansas. That was two full states away from the campsite in Utah, where they were set up before Artemis was called up to Olympus. The only other way to track him was through his iPod, which they were lucky Phoebe still had it.

The daughter of Ares, however, was the angriest the goddess has ever seen her. In fact, ever since Percy was brought to the camp on that fateful day, Phoebe's anger just seemed to disappear. But once the knowledge of what her mistress had done dawned onto her, Artemis might as well have been Adonis to Phoebe's wild boar. The elder huntress was able to actually get in a couple of good swipes, resulting in some nasty scars had she not been a goddess. Artemis actually had to knock the girl unconscious to stop her but the goddess didn't hold anything against her.

They searched in literally every state, the hunters stamina and resolve being used way past their limits. It was all in vain because the couldn't find any other hint of a scent or anything. Artemis briefly thought it was Poseidon, that the god found him, and promised him false truths to convince her son to go with him.

She was proven wrong though when they had to have the vote on whether or not they should send her half-sister on the quest a week ago. He wasn't exactly vocal but really he didn't need to, his evil eyes were more than enough to express his feelings.

Yesterday was when all hope was stolen, as the iPod disappeared. When Phoebe attacked Artemis, she dropped it in favor of her knives. Once everything calmed down, one of the hunters picked up the device seconds before it disappeared. Lauren announced that it must have the same returning effect as Percy's Riptide and that the only way to keep it from dematerializing was to keep it in their hand. While being awake. This led to a hunter carrying it for two hours at a time, one hour for night shifts, but eventually, during a night shift, the device evaporated into nothingness due to a sleeping hunter.

She was so lost in thought that she didn't feel the rising annoyance that radiated of her brother. "Are you going to go or not? I have things to do and they don't involve you."

Remembering what his intentions are with that mortal girl's address, she briefly forgot about everything to try and save the woman. "Apollo is it a good idea to conceive another demigod child, with a war on the horizon."

The sun god stood up and began stretching his body, "I'm not going to get her pregnant if that's what you think. But in the end, I do what I want, so go somewhere before a problem starts. I'll see you tomorrow three hours past noon."

Confusion was evident all over her face, "Why then?"

"We might not have to but if the bolt isn't in Zeus' hands by the afternoon, then the council will be summoned. You know what happens then."

Artemis nodded in understanding before adopting a glare. She was nervous beyond belief as she decided to stop by the island of Delos, but she had to set at least one thing straight. "If you tell anyone that I just cried in front of you, I swear upon the River Styx that I will cut off your manhood."

She was gone with a weak and dull flash but it was enough to leave Apollo more than satisfied, the threat not even faze him. He turned back to his car, shook his head in displeasure, and snapped his fingers. The cherry-red Maserati transformed into an inferno-orange Chevrolet Camaro. He smiled at how awesome it looks while bright headlights came into view.

A silver car pulled up next to Apollo and the disguised sun god turned. "Are you here for the Outdoor Movie Theater," The man in the car asked.

Apollo gave his usual sunny smile, blinding the mortal, "Why I do believe I am."

"Well sorry to tell you this but I still have to set it up. The movie actually doesn't start until an hour from now."

"It's fine, I have nothing to do and I'm waiting for someone. Go on ahead, I'll stay out your way."

The man nodded and pulled up about forty feet from Apollo. He popped open his trunk and began pulling out different pieces of equipment. Apollo, on the other hand, lets out a happy sigh as he sat down again on the hood of his car and pulled out the address he had received earlier before the horrible timing of his sister. It didn't matter though, as he remembers the girl saying she would be present for the movie with her friends.

"Hey, Mister! What movie is it gonna be tonight?"

* * *

Hades' cold, dark, obsidian eyes stared at the demigods before him and met with the defiant lightning blue ones of Thalia Grace. The complete and utter rebelliousness that emanated from the daughter of his brother, made him look down to the small throne beside him. Perseus was holding his head with his hand, obviously annoyed that his conversation had to be cut short. It seemed that not even the sight of his camp friends wouldn't lift his mood.

There was a strong resemblance between the two. The Ruler of the Dead could only guess that it's because that Perseus was born a son of Poseidon. The looks of anarchy, the manner of how they stand and walk, the air of dominance that surrounds them. Hades shook off the thought though, as Perseus was raised with tough love in a somewhat strict family. While, if Hades could remember correctly, Thalia lived on the run across the country for a year, before he almost killed her at least.

Nevertheless, the god of the underworld flared his aura, silently loving the immediate reaction of fear from the daughter of Athena. Annabeth's knees shook when his intense eyes landed on her, sweating at the evil charisma he radiated.

"You are brave to come here, daughter of Zeus," he said in an oily voice. "After I had already tried to kill you, very brave indeed. Or perhaps you are simply very foolish."

At that the sparked of confidence was zapped out of Thalia's eyes. She hesitated, fought the numbness that touched her joints and stepped forward. Scared out of her mind? Yeah, she was. That being said, she knew what she had to say. "Lord and Uncle, I come with two requests."

Hades raised an eyebrow. When he sat forward in his throne, shadowy faces appeared in the folds of his black robes, faces of torment, as if the garment were stitched of trapped souls from the Fields of Punishment, trying to get out. The ADHD part of Thalia wandered, off-task, whether the rest of his clothes were made the same way.

Apparently, the robes caught Perseus' attention because he sat forward on his throne to look at the robes. "Only two requests?" Hades said, ignoring the stupefied demigod beside him. "Arrogant child. As if you have not already taken enough. Speak, then. It amuses me not to strike you dead yet."

Thalia swallowed and glanced at the small throne beside Hades, and gasped when she saw the shadowed figure beside him. The throne wasn't anything special but shadows seemed to cover him like a shroud. As if he was constantly dying but also living at the same time.

She took another second to look at the empty, smaller throne next to Hades'. It was darker than the night sky, with flowers sprucing it. The daughter of Zeus wished her royal half-sister were here. Thalia recalled something in the myths about how she could calm her husband's moods. But it was summer. Of course, Persephone would be above in the world of light with her mother, the goddess of agriculture, Demeter.

Annabeth cleared her throat. Her finger prodding Thalia in the back. "Focus Thalia, and be respectful. Being brusque won't help us."

Thalia had no idea on what brusque meant—a part of her thought it was some French meal, before realizing she was just hungry—but she sighed at the obvious fear in her voice. She really hasn't been the same when Grover died, his death destroying her self-esteem a mile a minute. She decided to ignore it though, as she helped get Ares' dumb shield and freed the animals in the smuggling truck in honor of the satyr.

"Lord Hades," she said. "Look, sir, there can't be a war among the gods. It would be ... bad. Really bad. Return my father's master bolt to me. Please, sir. Let me carry it to Olympus."

Hades eyes grew dangerously bright until the figure beside him spoke up, "Remember the words of your wife, Lord Hades. Keep an open mind."

The words didn't soothe him but he recalled that his wife did actually say those words. So his words still had much malice when he said, "You dare keep up this pretense, after what you have done?"

Thalia glanced back Annabeth but her head was down. The venom in his words gave her a pale complexion as if she lived down there. When she looked back towards Hades, she watched the shadow behind him shake his head and sigh. "Um... Uncle," Thalia stuttered. "You say 'after what you've done.' What exactly have I done?"

The throne room shook with a tremor so strong, it was probably felt upstairs in Los Angeles. Debris fell from the cavern ceiling. Doors burst open all along the walls, and skeletal warriors marched in, hundreds of them, from every time period and nation in Western civilization. They lined the perimeter of the room, blocking the exits.

Hades bellowed, "Do you think I want war, godling?"

"Lord Hades," the shadow cut in. "She meant no such thing. She only asks-"

"Quiet boy," Hades roared in his face, Thalia wondered if his breath smelled like death. That is until his sights were back on her. "Answer the question demigod. Do you think I want war."

"You are the Lord of the Dead," she said carefully. "A war would expand your kingdom, right?"

"A typical thing for your paranoid father to say! Do you think I need more subjects? Did you not see the sprawl of the Asphodel Fields?"

"Well..."

"Have you any idea how much my kingdom has swollen in this past century alone, how many subdivisions I've had to open?"

Thalia opened her mouth to respond, but Hades was on a roll now. "More security ghouls," he moaned. "Traffic problems at the judgment pavilion. Double overtime for the staff. I used to be a rich god, Thalia Grace. I control all the precious metals under the earth. But my expenses!"

"Charon wants a pay raise," the shadow blurted out. Thalia winced and wished the figure never said that if the anger of Hades' face was any indication.

"Don't get me started on Charon!" Hades yelled. "He's been impossible ever since he discovered Italian suits! Problems everywhere, and I've got to handle all of them personally. The commute time alone from the palace to the gates is enough to drive me insane! And the dead just keep arriving. No, godling. I need no help getting subjects! I did not ask for this war."

"But you took my father's master bolt."

"Lies!" Hades rose from his throne, towering to the height of a football goal post. "Why would I care about his bolt, when my own helm is missing?"

"But ..." Annabeth spoke. She stepped forward to stand beside Thalia. Perseus recognized the look from camp and could tell her mind was going a million miles an hour. "Lord Hades, your helm of darkness is missing, too?"

"What milord is saying," the figure also stood up beside Hades, "is that yes, it is missing. But he has not told anyone because the Olympians would not care. It also doesn't do much good for word to get out that the Lord of the Underworld does not have the most powerful weapon of fear. Does it?"

Thalia found herself agreeing with him but didn't show it. Annabeth, whose confidence rose significantly for whatever reason, thought different. "And you are?"

The shadow started to stay something but paused, which rose immense suspicion from the demigods. He turned to Hades, who sat down and waved his hand in a dismissive manner. "I am just a boy who resides in the Underworld."

"You're his son?"

"No."

"His servant?"

"No."

"His slave?"

"Isn't that the same thing, oh wise, daughter of Athena?" Annabeth blushed and Thalia could've sworn the shadow was smirking. Even though Hades was cold and mean, Thalia couldn't help but realize how different the figure was. With all the shadows on him, he only radiated a soft kindness, though one could sense an apathetic vibe from him just as easily. Thalia stumbled as her memories started doing jumping jacks, it stopped as she remembered something important.

"Poseidon," she blurted out, just remembering her favor to the god.

"What?" Annabeth noticed Hades eyes snap to them. Were they filled with anticipation or curiosity? Wisdom's daughter couldn't find out.

"Poseidon wanted me to give this to you." She took off her backpack and fished out a satchel. Thalia opened it and pulled out a pearl.

"Ah, the pearls," Hades said. "Yes, my brother and his little tricks."

She gave one to the shadow, who stared at it in his palm of shades. He thanked her before depositing it in a pocket that clearly wasn't visible. Thalia guessed it was a pocket that would be on a hoodie. _Percy likes wearing hoodies,_ she thought off-handedly before shaking her head. She almost missed Annabeth's interrogation.

"Why would Poseidon give you a pearl? Wait. Are you his son? You said you weren't Hades' kid."

"No," he said, starting to actually sound annoyed. Hades' eyes shined with amusement and Thalia subconsciously had felt rubbed the wrong way, as if it bothered her to hear the shadow sound like that. "I'm not the son of that Sea God."

"Why are do sound so irritated?"

"Because you annoy me," he responded. Thalia fought not to laugh, but Annabeth went red with rage.

"Maybe your related but you hate him. I'm probably right, aren't I?"

"I am a child of a god just like you, making me a demigod. But I have no direct relations with Poseidon, god of the sea."

Thalia understood where he was coming from, and she saw that Annabeth had to as well, albeit grudgingly. That didn't mean she wasn't finished though, "Swear it on the River Styx."

"I swear I have no direct relations to Poseidon, god of the seas." The thunder sounded in the background and he wasn't dead. _Sorry, Annabeth._ "Now if you would be so kind. Please leave, Lord Hades allowed you to easily enter but now you must go on your way."

"Wait, easily?" Thalia was appalled that he even thought that. "It was anything but easy."

Hades had enough of the bickering. "Return my property!"

"We don't have your helm. We came for the Master bolt."

"Which you already possess!" Hades shouted. "You came here with it, little fool, thinking you could you threaten me!"

"But I didn't!"

"Open your pack, then."

Thalia's eyes widened and she looked back in the bag she had placed next to her feet. Annabeth, instead, was glaring at the shadow. Which was weird because there really wasn't anything to look at when it was standing so still. Thalia's audible gasp was the only thing to stop her, because in her hands was a two-foot-long metal cylinder, spiked on both ends, humming with energy.

"Thalia," Annabeth said. "How-"

"I-I don't know. I don't understand."

"You heroes are always the same," Hades said. "Your pride makes you foolish, thinking you could bring such a weapon before me."

The shadow clapped his hands. "Now that you recognized that you have it. Please go."

"Wait," Hades called out. "I have changed my mind. He waved his hand and the soldiers guarding the door moved out the way. "You have two minutes to escape the Underworld. Then the might of the Underworld will be brought to you."

The shadow shook his head. "Alright well, good luck. Find the helm, will you? If not, Hades is going to stop death. You know, opening the earth and having the dead pour into the world. It's going to be a literal living nightmare."

The demigoddess' eyes widened. "What-"

"One minute and forty-five seconds."

The shadow waved his hands toward the door. "Hurry up!"

It only took a few more seconds for Thalia to pack the bolt and run out with Annabeth in tow. Perseus allowed the shadows to dissipate and the sight of the hidden made the Ruler of the Dead groan. "Am I really allowing them to leave my home with the bolt?"

Perseus only smiled and trotted back to his mini throne. "How long do you think it's gonna take for them to remember they can just smash those pearls?"

Hades was quiet for a moment before sighing, "Apparently just now."

"You know they didn't take it."

"Miss Grace, I know didn't take it. But the other one, like I said before, isn't so innocent."

"Yeah, I'm not entirely fond of Annabeth either. She's kinda bossy and you kinda have to fit into her personal set of standards or she treats you like an outcast. It's a good thing she doesn't have any power in camp… What were we talking about?"

Hades sighed again, taking into account that the demigod has been making him do that a lot lately. "The daughter of Athena, Perseus."

"Oh yeah. Trust me, she didn't do it."

"Again, you are obtuse to the gravity of the situation, Perseus. That entire exchange was useless. I still don't have my helm. Their quest called for the bolt, and they have it. They won't be looking for my Helm at all. In fact, the Olympians will now be informed that it is missing."

Perseus tapped his forehead in thought. _Hades is right, they're not going to be searching for the helm. Today's the solstice, they can't even if they wanted to._ "What if I look for it? They were surprised to find the bolt in the bag. Whatever god sent them here is probably waiting for them up top. I might find the bolt."

Hades again was quiet as he contemplated the idea. On one hand, he could very well get his symbol of power back. But, an Olympian could be waiting for the demigods, which will easily expose him, which messes up the entire plan. He weighed both options before deciding that he would deal with the ramifications.

"Go, but continue doing what you were doing. If it is an Olympian, be very careful but proceed at your own discretion. If it is your mother come back immediately. I can't take chances with her."

"You don't have to tell me twice," Perseus muttered before wincing and falling off his throne. He had a massive migraine that went away five seconds after it came. "Dang it. That's the second time that happened."

"What is it," Hades asked, but Perseus waved him off as he stood up.

"Nothing. Look, I'll find your helm, Uncle," he told him. "I'll return it. Remember about Charon's pay raise."

"Do not defy me-"

"Yeah, yeah, yeah. You are the Lord of the Riches and the Dead. That's yesterday news, well, really it was last week's but… Oh, you get what I mean."

The Lord of the Riches and the Dead rolled his eyes. "They are in Santa Monica Bay. In the middle of it. But wait until the god appears. Like you said, whoever sent them thought that I would kill them, so they might try to finish the job."

"Got it."

"Perseus. Retrieve the Helm of Darkness and then leave. I care not for the demigods and their quest. Don't. Mess. Up."

"I understand, jeez. Lighten up, old man." With that, Perseus ran and jumped into a shadow.

* * *

"Annabeth!" For the second time during this quest, Thalia watched Annabeth get thrown around like a rag doll. And for the second time, there was nothing they could do about it.

Ares knocked away all of their weapons and Annabeth in the process. And now as Thalia was on her butt, scooting away from him on the sand clutching the bag with the bolt close to her chest. A motorcycle popped out of nowhere and he sat on it with an evil smile. Let no one say that He and Dionysus weren't related. The war god snapped his fingers and Thalia found that she couldn't move. "Why are you doing this," she shouted.

"You see, kid, there's a problem," Ares said, seeming genuinely pleased to see her so defeated. "You were supposed to die."

"You tricked me," Thalia said. "You stole the helm and the master bolt."

Ares grinned. "Well, now, I didn't steal them personally. Gods taking each other's symbols of power–that's a big no-no. But you're not the only hero in the world who can run errands."

"Who did you use? Clarisse? She always does go preaching on and on about you."

The idea seemed to amuse him. "Doesn't matter, in fact, the look of being double-crossed is funny on you. Can't wait until you learn who really stole it. The point is, kid, you're impeding the war effort. See, you've got to die in the Underworld. The Old Seaweed is already mad at Hades because he thinks Hades used a cyclops to kill his lover over a decade ago. Corpse Breath will have Zeus's master bolt, so Zeus will be mad at him. And Hades is still looking for this ..."

From his pocket, he took out a ski cap-the kind bank robbers wear-and placed it between the handlebars of his bike. Immediately, the cap transformed into an elaborate bronze war helmet.

"The helm of darkness," She gasped.

"Exactly," Ares said. "Now where was I? Oh yeah, Hades will be mad at both Zeus and Poseidon, because he doesn't know who took this. Pretty soon, we got a nice little three-way slugfest going."

"But they're your family!" She protested.

Ares shrugged. "Best kind of war. Always the bloodiest. Nothing like watching your relatives fight, I always say."

"You gave me the backpack in Denver," she said. "The master bolt was in there the whole time."

"Yes and no," Ares said. "It's probably too complicated for your little mortal brain to follow, but the backpack is the master bolt's sheath, just morphed a bit. The bolt is connected to it, sort of… Anyway, I tinkered with the magic a bit, so the bolt would only return to the sheath once you reached the Underworld. You get close to Hades… Bingo, you got mail. If you died along the way it wasn't any loss on my end. I still had the weapon."

"But why not just keep the master bolt for yourself?" She said. "Why send it to Hades?" Thalia wished she didn't say that, but she couldn't help it. She was a daughter of Zeus, so she couldn't comprehend why someone would give up power.

She watched as Ares got a twitch in his jaw. For a moment, it was almost as if he were listening to another voice, deep inside his head. "Why didn't I… yeah… with that kind of fire-power… "

He held the trance for one second… two seconds…

Thalia risked a glance over to Annabeth. The daughter of Athena was sprawled out on the sand, but Thalia was able to see her chest rise and fall. She breathed a sigh of relief before turning back to Ares whose face cleared. "I didn't want the trouble. Better to have you caught red-handed, holding the thing."

"You're lying," she said. "Sending the bolt to the Underworld wasn't your idea, was it?"

"Of course it was!" Smoke drifted up from his sunglasses as if they were about to catch fire.

"You didn't order the theft," Thalia guessed. "Someone else sent a hero to steal the two items. Then, when Zeus sent you to hunt him down, you caught the thief. But you didn't turn him over to Zeus. Something convinced you to let him go. You kept the items until another hero could come along and complete the delivery. That thing in the pit is ordering you around."

"I am the god of war! I take orders from no one! I don't have dreams!"

Thalia hesitated before furrowing her eyebrows in confusion. "Who said anything about dreams?"

Ares looked agitated, but he tried to cover it with a smirk. "Let's get back to the problem at hand, kid. You're alive. I can't have you taking that bolt to Olympus. You just might get those hard headed idiots to listen to you. So I've got to kill you, even if you are my sister. Nothing personal."

He snapped his fingers. The sand exploded at his feet and out charged a wild boar. _It's even larger and uglier than the one whose head hung above the door of cabin seven at Camp Half-Blood_ , Thalia thought. The beast pawed the sand, glaring at her with beady eyes as it lowered its razor-sharp tusks and waited for the command to kill.

In a final attempt to stay alive, Thalia shouted, "Fight me yourself, Ares."

He laughed darkly, and the blood drained out of Thalia's face. "Kill her." The giant boar charged, and Thalia couldn't do anything but watch as it rushes her. She closed her eyes, accepting her fate, and waited. And waited. Thinking she already died, Thalia opened her eyes to a severed right tusk. When she looked around she saw the boar squealing desperately as it was dragged by an invisible force into the shade of a rather large rock that was on the beach.

When she turned her focus back to Ares, she gaped at the sight in front of her. Ares' motorcycle was knocked over and its rider was spitting out golden blood a couple feet away from it, with a sizeable bruise on his cheek. The same shadow figure, who Thalia was really getting tired of being saved by, stood in front of the god. The only sound that could be heard was the sounds of the tides and desperate cries of the boar before it was cut-off abruptly.

"So you were the one who stole the bolt." It should've been a question, but Thalia noticed it sounded like a statement, one that allowed no argument.

Ares didn't bother answering his statement, instead started wiping his mouth of the ichor off of his face. "Who the Hades are you? You dare strike a god?"

It seems like neither of them was going to answer the other. "Take up your arms war god. I will have my vengeance, you are going to fight me now."

Ares stood up fast, eyes burning at being challenged and face was purple with rage. "Watch it, kid. I don't know who you are but I know you're a mortal. I could turn you into-"

"A cockroach," The shadow said. "Or a tapeworm. Yeah, I'm sure. That'd save you from getting beaten from a puny little mortal like me, wouldn't it?"

Flames danced along the top of his glasses. "Oh, man, you don't know what you're getting in to. You are really asking to be smashed into a grease spot."

"Shut up. Your threats don't faze me in the slightest."

Ares sneered, fuming at the disrespect. He held his hand out and an aluminum baseball bat appeared in his hands. He pulled off his leather duster while taking a few practice swings with the bat. "How would you like to get smashed: classic or modern?"

"Are you blind to the sword that I've had in my hands?"

Thalia was, as the three-foot long bronze sword gleamed in his hands. She didn't know how she didn't see it but blamed it on the fact she raced over to Annabeth the moment she realized she could move. After studying the fallen motorcycle, she noticed that there were holes in the tires that had to be cut with a blade. _Not really necessary but unbelievably petty. I like this guy more and more._

"That's cool, dead boy," he said. "You are dead aren't you. With all those shadows, you must work for Hades. I don't care, classic it is." The baseball bat changed into a huge, two-handed sword. The hilt was a large silver skull with a ruby in its mouth.

Thalia wanted to tell him not to fight him, because, like it or not, Ares was a god. No, an Olympian. But at that moment she was just a girl with a backpack with a weapon that rivals the power of a nuke. She was no help, none at all.

Ares stalked towards the shadow, his sword glinting like fire in the sunrise. He stopped five feet away from him. "I've been fighting for eternity, kid. My strength is unlimited and I cannot die. What have you got?"

"A smaller ego," was all he said before he charged. Ares might have been right when he said his strength was unlimited, but the shadow's speed and agility beat Ares' by a mile. Though it didn't mean any side was better than the other, as only blades clashed against blades.

When Ares swung his sword in an attempt to lop off his head, the shadow ducked and rose back up while swinging his sword upward. The bronze sword caught Ares' abdomen and elicited a roar to come from the Olympian.

The war god growled at the shadow before calling upon his divine power. He tremendously increased his speed and agility to match his opponent before charging again.

He slashed but his disputant deflected his blade. When the shadow got close enough to strike, he tried to fake him out with a feint, but his blow was knocked aside. It didn't seem to affect him though, as he rolled to the side when Ares tried to cut him in half vertically.

The shadow swung his sword in another upward strike, but Ares anticipated it and jumped back. He stepped inside with a composed thrust but unfortunately, Ares was ready for that as well and knocked his blade away. Thalia couldn't see the shadows face, but she would bet an arm and a leg that the shadow was shocked.

Faster than any mortal eye could see, Ares slammed his sword into the ground while kicking sand into his opponent's eye. The shadow stepped back while rubbing his eyes as he was temporarily blinded, but Ares wasn't having it. He picked up the shadow by the throat and picked him up off his feet before bringing him close.

"You're not that bad." Ares looked down to his ichor-covered muscle shirt. "You nicked me real good. Why don't you drop the shadows and we'll see if I can make you a slave of mine."

"Go to… Tartarus," the shadow croaked. Ares rolled his eyes in response and applied more pressure, choking the demigod. Percy tried his hardest but eventually, he fell short. In order to stay awake, he let go of the shadows covering him in order to keep up his vitality.

Thalia froze on the beach, her eyes widening and her jaw dropping in the sand. _It can't be… That isn't Percy right there… is it?_ She couldn't believe her eyes so she was constantly blinking them. After pinching herself and trying every other tactic to reassure she wasn't dreaming, she accepted the truth. That the boy with a black hoodie, raven-black hair, and pale skin is being choked by Ares. Accepting that this is what was happening made her adopt a glare, _Why couldn't he save Grover then? Why didn't he grab us out of the Lotus Casino, so we didn't stay in their for five days? Why is he with Hades?_ She planned on asking him every single question when this is over, if he survives, of course.

Ares was so shocked that he loosen his grip too much, and Percy was able to balance himself enough to kick the war god in the face, dropping him straight away. Again he found himself wiping ichor off of his face, and watched in silent awe as the son of Artemis tried to catch his breath. In a way, Ares was able to accept that it was him, as it should be impossible for any other demigod to fight him for so long.

Percy was furious that he was caught but jubilant that he didn't half to hold back… sort of. He couldn't pull his bow out in fear of Thalia figuring things out but, with a thought, he willed his silver hunting knives into existence.

"I'll admit it, kid," Ares said. "You got a good hit in. But you gotta know you got no hope. In reality, I'm just toying with you. I'm not even trying that hard."

Percy snorted and ran his blades over the other to check their sharpness. "Because you didn't cheat the fight, use your godly abilities to put yourself over me. Right? The shadows were doing something to my eyesight." He was lying, of course. With the blessing he received from Hades, the shadows enhance Percy's already above average senses.

Ares hesitated, which was a dangerous move in front of the little hunter. "Why don't you put down the blades, and I bring you to Olympus. You are a wanted boy."

"And the taking part in stealing makes you a free man. You're the reason why I'm missing from the gods. That makes you my prey, good luck escaping this hunter."

Thalia didn't what to be more surprised at. The manner in which Percy is speaking to an Olympian, or the fact that the Olympians want Percy. Or maybe she should be shocked that he put on the Helm of Darkness and charged Ares. But there is one thing she did know: Percy Jackson is devastating with the hunting knives.

"He's downright virulent." Thalia turned to the owner of the voice, and almost jumped when she saw Annabeth sitting up. _Like she wasn't just knocked out from a kick from Ares._

"What? How? When-"

"For a couple minutes now, is that really Percy?"

Yeah, but… What does virulent mean?"

"Come on, Thalia. Virulent? Like, lethal, destructive."

"Oh yeah. Why didn't you just say that in the beginning?"

"Shush… look. Ares looks like he's going to be sent to Tartarus if Percy keeps this up."

Annabeth was right. Percy had kicked Ares's sword into the ocean, and it seemed to have gobbled it up. And since the war god had already dishonored himself in the fight, Percy charged him while he had no weapons to defend himself. A few minutes later and there lies a beat up god with a demigod wielding the Helm of Darkness and silver hunting knives.

"Alright, Alright!" Ares had never been so low in his entire life. "Stop! You win, just stop!"

Percy savored the begs and pleads from Ares. But he wanted more, he wanted to send him deep into the pits of Tartarus. But the realistic side knew better, so he sheathed his blades. He stomped up to the battered form of the war god and yanked him up by the shirt.

"Knock the daughter of Athena out. Then, wipe her memory."

"What?"

"Now!" Percy took advantage of the helm and broadcasted fear, so much that the god was shaking. Without any more warnings, he snapped his fingers. Couple more seconds later, and the cries of Thalia could be heard. Percy sighed.

 _Well, that's one problem gone. Now what to do with Ares._ He disobeyed orders, he knew that. He could've easily gotten the helm with how distracted Ares was, but then he learned that Ares was "apart" of the theft of the bolt. Obviously, there was a mortal that was involved, probably a demigod but he'll deal with that later. Now he had to deal with the shivering war god.

"Do you swear on the River Styx to not tell anyone, in any way shape or form, about me, Percy Jackson?"

He hesitated again, making Percy growl. The involuntarily made the helm radiated more fear, and Ares was sweating. "I, Ares, God of War, swear on the River Styx to not tell anyone, in any way shape or form, anything about you, Percy Jackson."

"Good." Percy threw the god away from him, which wasn't entirely easy, and watched as he vanished from sight. He turned around and watched as Thalia was frantically checking over Annabeth. He jogged up to her and stopped her from waking the daughter of Athena up. This resulted in getting slapped with her electrified hand. Hard.

"What. The. Hades."

"I know. I know. I have a lot of explaining to do."

"Your dang right you do. You want to tell me how you've been doing this."

"No, not really." He flinched at her glare. "I can't even if I wanted to."

"Why. not."

"Do you have to pause after every word. Ow, ow—fine." Percy rubbed his ear. "It's eleven o'clock right now… more or less. California is three hours behind New York. The bolt is due an hour from now."

Thalia's eyes widened, "How in Hades are we gonna make it?"

Percy smirked his annoying smirk, then pointed at the celestial bronze war helmet. By the way, it didn't fit him. At all. "With shadow travel, of course. Pack your things and I'll grab Annabeth."

She did as she was told and spoke while looking over her shoulder, "Don't you think everything is going a bit fast?"

She heard him grunt and when she finished packing and turned around, saw Annabeth hoisted up on his shoulders. "If you don't, war will start in less than an hour."

"Fine, let's go. Do I have to put my hands on your shoulder or something." He nodded and she followed through. Thalia didn't know how to explain shadow traveling, but if one was to ask her how it felt she would tell them, "It's going so fast that it feels like your face is peeling off."

When the high-speed travel stopped, Thalia found herself in a bustling lobby. There were elevators on either side of her. People walked by her and one rudely pushed her out the way. She looked back to Percy who was holding the helmet and staring at it oddly. She was going to question him, but the helmet suddenly turned back into a ski mask. He looked alarmed for a second before quickly shoving it into his hoodie pocket.

"So… where are we?" Thalia was staring at the pictures along the walls.

"The Empire State Building," Percy answered. He found an empty chair and dropped the demigoddess into it, to which she curled into a ball.

"And where do I go now?"

"Ask for the six hundredth floor. Alright, I gotta go, I was serious when I said that your Uncle might stop death. See ya later, Thals." He waved at her just as she turned around and jumped into the nearest shadow. No one paid him any attention.

"Wait, Percy… Darn it. I guess this is all normal to them." Thalia checked on Annabeth before looking around again. Her eyes caught sight of the front desk. Thalia suddenly became self-conscious of herself, noticing that she must have looked like a homeless kid, with tattered clothes and a scraped-up face. But she held her head up high and went up to the guard at the front desk and said, "The six hundredth floor, please."

He was reading a huge book with a picture of a wizard on the front. The book must've been good because the guard took a while to look up. "No such floor, kiddo."

"I need an audience with Zeus."

He gave me a vacant smile. "Sorry?"

"My father, King of the gods. I have his symbol of power. If you don't believe me, I could just take it out and-"

"No! No!" He scrambled out of his seat, fumbled around his desk for a key card, then handed it to her. "Insert this in the security slot. Make sure nobody else is in the elevator with you."

She did as she was told. As soon as the elevator doors closed, Thalia slipped the key into the slot. The card disappeared and a new button appeared on the console, a red one that said 600. She stared at the button, a part of her yelling to hurry up, while the other wanted to run.

Ultimately, she pressed the button and waited.

* * *

 **A/N: I'm just full of surprises, aren't I. Another chapter with five days of the last. Well, I blame you. Your awesome reviews motivated me to write a whole new chapter but I already planned to write two chapters during Christmas break.** **Unfortunately, we are still in the Lightning Thief Arc. Slow and Steady wins the race, but I'm getting tired of a twelve-year-old Percy. I'm ready to for the sixteen-year-old one.**

 **Artemis is stressed as Hades right now, and now we know that no one cares. The goddess has been called out on her faults and she had to deal with them. Poor Arty. But let's get something straight. The only villains in this story are Kronos and his army, and later Gaia and her Giants. The gods are not evil(well Ares is up for debate) and will just have moments. Albeit, Zeus more than most.**

 **Also remember: Percy hates his mother right now. Even though he beat up Ares because he stole the bolt, his mother made the decision to give Percy up to Zeus. She could've refused but she didn't, and Percy won't forget that.**

 **This chapter is extremely long, but ironically one of my fastest updates. My favorite scene was Thalia and Hades. I really want to know what you all think of the fight between Percy and Ares. I don't think it was good and I'm just going to skip all of them from now on. Except when we enter Heroes of Olympus.**

 **Review. Review. Review. Review. Review. Review. Keep up with the long reviews. Shoutout to Vinny17, rkimberly90, angery pupper, Checkingdude, and last but not least, Stormwrekin.**

 **Again thanks for even reading. Share to others, like it, add it to your library.**

 **You won't regret it.**


	10. Chapter 10

**Discharge**

Thalia walked up the steps to the central courtyard and almost fainted from awe.

The moment she arrived in Olympus she could do nothing but stare. As always with her, she doubted everything she laid her eyes on, believing she had the liberty to do so. The tip of a mountain is anchored above the Empire State Building, in plain sight of millions of people, and not get noticed? It was when she climbed up her Greek stairway to heaven when her brain started accepting what her eyes saw.

Her eyes recognized the decapitated peak of a mountain, with palace ornaments adorning it. The palaces, _more like castles,_ had Greek columns, marvelous flowers growing along the terraces, a bronze hearths glowing brighter than any house fire. As the daughter of Zeus looked up the roads, she noticed that everywhere she looked seemed to have a light layer of snow.

When she arrived at the center, she was in the middle of an open-air market. She could make out a stone amphitheater on the side of the mountain and a coliseum on the other side. The smell of rose bushes and olive trees overwhelmed her sense of smell, while the vibrant and bright tents attracted her line of sight. It was then Thalia Grace confirmed she was an Ancient Greek city but unlike the ones in the mortal world, this one wasn't in ruins. Everything was new, clean, and colorful, the way Athens must've looked twenty-five hundred years ago.

She remembered the Camp Counselors got to visit the camp every Winter Solstice, and some have seen Olympus for years. _Annabeth must've gone bananas when she first came here… How did she become Head Counselor for her cabin so quickly?"_

Thalia was broken out of her thoughts when an olive struck her forehead. She halted, picked up the olive, and looked around in confusion. Wood nymphs were giggling as they threw more at her. She paid them no mind, just as she declined offers from others. She noticed a group of satyrs and naiads with a bunch of good-looking teenagers who might've been minor gods and goddesses, they were listening to music from the nine Muses. She felt a pang in her hear as she was reminded of Grover, before ignoring everyone and following the path again.

She was angry that everybody seemed in a festive mood as if nobody seemed worried about an impending civil war. _It's not fair that they get to be so happy. Their friend didn't die. No, their friends are all here partying like kings and queens, while I had to fight to stay alive for the past week._ Thalia's mood soured and it immediately caught the attention of some of the minor gods and goddesses. Several of them turned to watch her pass and whispered to themselves, but she ignored them and kept her head up.

When she caught the view of the building she was most likely supposed to go, she found herself comparing the palace to Hades' in the Underworld. There, everything had been black and bronze but it seemed in Olympus everything glittered white and silver. Thinking back she felt bad for her Uncle. While Percy did get his Helm, no one else would've had Percy not been alive. He was bitter but he had every right to be so. But even after all that, Thalia still couldn't deny that Olympus was breathtaking.

Because really, it was.

So much so, that her sour mood dissipated and she was left in a daze. So yeah, she almost fainted when she arrived in the courtyard. And when she eventually made it into the Throne Room, she stood still as a tree. Thalia was hard to intimidate but the massive columns that rose to a domed ceiling, which was then gilded with moving constellations, proved to be a little more than she could handle.

Twelve thrones, built for beings the size of Hades, were arranged in an inverted U, just like the cabins at Camp Half-Blood, with an enormous fire crackling in the central hearth pit. Some of the thrones were empty but some were filled. Thalia didn't have to be told who the god who was sitting there at the head, waiting for me to approach. But she came toward them, forcing her legs to stop trembling.

The gods were in giant human form, unlike Hades had been. He was the size of a regular mortal man. Thalia wished the gods present were like Hades because she could barely look at them without feeling a tingle as if her body was starting to burn. Zeus, the Lord of the Gods and her godly father. He sat on a simple throne of solid platinum, totally different from Hades' throne of bones. Zeus had a well-trimmed beard, marbled gray and black like a storm cloud, and Thalia struggled to find the resemblance. His face was proud and handsome and grim, his eyes rainy gray while her eyes were a royal blue, like his dark blue pinstripe suit.

She got over it though, as the air crackled and smelled of ozone, easily pouring strength into her body. Thalia guessed it was just a "Zeus and his bastard demigod children" thing.

To the left of Zeus, sat a middle-aged woman. Thalia immediately knew who she was, and felt anger that was buried six-feet-deep inside her rise. She couldn't deny that she was beautiful, no matter how bad she wanted to. Hera, queen of the gods, had shimmering silver hair, a face of regal beauty that easily topped models, and deep brown eyes. Thalia held back a scowl as she turned to the last occupant of the room.

Two seats from Hera sat another middle-aged woman. _Would it kill one of them to actually look young?_ At this, the woman glared and Thalia started sweating. _Sorry._ Thalia got a good look and also didn't take long to recognize her. It was Athena, who looked like a more developed Annabeth, accept her hair was brown while Annabeth's was blonde. The startling gray eyes were still there though.

The god sitting next to her father was easily recognizable, without a doubt, and she couldn't help but notice how different he was dressed. He wore clothes that were similar to the ones at the bottom of the Mississippi River. He had the same powerful sea-green eyes, the same brooding look, and the same sun-crinkles surrounding his eyes. His throne was also different, being a fisherman's chair instead of an actual throne. It still radiated power, but it's way different from the normal ones of the other gods before her. Poseidon gave her a small smile, and gave a small head gesture to her father, telling her to pay attention.

And she was glad she did, as she finally took into account of the tension in the room. The gods weren't moving or speaking as if they'd just finished an argument.

She approached the head throne and knelt at her father's feet. "Father." Thalia dared not look up; her heart was racing. She could feel the energy emanating from the four gods. She knew that if she happened to say the wrong thing, They could very well blast her into dust.

She waited for any indication to rise. To her left, Hera spoke. "Will you not address the mistress of this house as well, girl?" Thalia bit back a growl and continued to wait.

Thankfully, her new favorite god came to her rescue. "Peace, sister," Poseidon finally said. "The girl defers to her father, who is the master of this house. Zeus is her father, this is only right." She couldn't see it but her father nodded in agreement.

"You still claim her then?" Hera asked, menacingly. "You claim this child whom you sired against your sacred oath? An oath that you came up with? It's bad enough I have to deal with J-"

"Enough," Zeus said. "She is my daughter, and now I will hear her speak."

Hera began to grumble in a very unladylike manner. "Fine, you shall listen," she decided. "Then I shall make up my mind whether or not to cast this girl… this illegitimate little girl… down from Olympus."

"Thalia," Zeus said. "Look at me."

Thalia did, and she wasn't sure what she saw in his face. There was no clear sign of love or approval. Nothing to encourage her, like the smell of ozone earlier. Then slowly, like a storm cloud was forming, she saw pride develop into his eyes. She slightly wondered if this is how Heracles felt.

"Tell the council your story."

So Thalia told her father everything, just as it had happened… for the most part. She kept Percy out of the story, placing lies in the holes. She was constantly glancing at Athena, though, wanting to see if she sensed any deception. After speaking she took out the metal cylinder, which began sparking in the Sky God's presence, and laid it at his feet. There was a long silence, broken only by the crackle of the hearth fire.

Zeus opened his palm, for the lightning bolt flew into it. As he closed his fist, the metallic points flared with electricity, until he was holding what looked more like the classic thunderbolt, a twenty-foot javelin of arcing, hissing energy that made the hairs on her scalp rise in excitement.

"I sense my daughter tells the truth," Zeus muttered. "But that Ares would do such a thing ... it is most unlike him."

"He is proud and impulsive," Poseidon said. "It runs in the family."

"Lord?" She asked.

They both said, "Yes?"

"Ares didn't act alone. Someone else—something else—came up with the idea." She described their interaction, and the strange words he said on the beach.

"Could it be someone close to you," Athena asked. Thalia almost forgot she was there, as she was as silent as an assassin going for the kill. She kept her mind blank so she didn't think about the son of Apollo. "I could only think of Annabeth, but it couldn't have been her."

The maiden goddess was quick to agree, "Yes, it wouldn't have been my daughter. We'll find out soon enough."

Poseidon was angry at how quick Athena was to defend her daughter. "And why must you be so sure of your daughter."

She snorted and rolled her eyes, "Like my daughter would endanger Olympus or go against it. She inherited part of my wisdom after all."

Zeus groaned and held up his hand, ending the argument promptly. "We will speak of this no more," Zeus said. "I must go personally to purify this thunderbolt in the waters of Lemnos, to remove the human taint from its metal."

He rose and looked at his demigod daughter. His expression softened just a fraction of a degree, the pride still prevalent in his pupils. "You have done me a service, my daughter. Few heroes could have accomplished as much."

"I had help, father," Thalia said. "Grover Underwood and Annabeth Chase. They helped me, but unfortunately, Grover couldn't make it." At that, Poseidon felt his eyebrow raise. He may not be Hades, but he can feel when someone dies, including someone weak like a satyr. But, he didn't remember feeling a satyr die.

Thunder began to shake the palace. Right before her father flashed away, Poseidon stood up with his Trident, calling out, "Wait!"

The thunder died down, and the light dimmed around her father, "What is it?"

"I do believe you have said that your daughter has done you a service. She deserves a gift, does she not?"

"No, she does not!" Hera slammed her fist on her armrest. "To show her our thanks, I shall spare your life. I do not trust you, Thalia Grace. I do not like what your arrival means for the future of Olympus, for the future of my family. But for the sake of peace in the family, I shall let you live."

"If I may," the Sea God interjected, "I have a perfect reward for the demigod."

Zeus stroked his beard while changing his focus between his wife and brother. He ended up on Poseidon and asked, "Well? Spit it out. I must wash my bolt."

"Spend the day with your child."

Hera made a shocked squeaking sound as her face went crimson with rage. "Have you forgotten the Ancient Laws?! Gods cannot directly influence their children!"

"Yes that is true, but she has been through so much lately. Think about it brother, she was just a tree a month ago. Imagine the dangers of a neglected child, do you want to take a chance?"

Athena watched on in dismay as Poseidon played every card right. Zeus easily agreed and held out his hand to his daughter who was stuck in a stupor. Eventually, he walked up to her and flashed away, leaving behind a happy Poseidon and an enraged Hera.

"Why do you even care? She is a daughter of Zeus, is she not," Hera sneered. Poseidon wasn't scared at all, instead, a sad look was painted on his face.

"I made a mistake that I fear I will never be able to fix. No longer will I stand by and allow other gods to do the same as I did. Now, if you don't mind, your husband has received his bolt and I have a kingdom to look after."

He flashed away in a soft mist, as Hera huffed in annoyance. Her angry brown eye met the bored grey eyes of Athena. "Why are you still here?"

"I expected a war. I was only being prepared."

"Well, there's nothing stopping you from being with your child. She _did_ participate in the quest."

A smile slowly found its way onto Athena's lips. She was slightly surprised that she hadn't thought of that herself. She flashed away to her palace, gathering all forms of books on architecture to spend the day with her most favored daughter.

* * *

Perseus jumped out of the shadow to arrive in the Hades' throne room. He looked absolutely ridiculous with Hades' helm on his head. He could be compared to a four-year-old child, with a Darth Vader mask that's fitted for an adult. The only reason he could see was that of the darkness, Hades' blessing taking full effect.

Now Perseus full underestimated Hades' symbol of power. He knew that it made him strong enough to absolutely whoop Ares' hide, but that was it. He wore it when transporting Thalia from California to New York, but that was because the deadline was coming to an end. Of course, he blamed it on the helm, but that was only because of his humble nature.

But when he tried to return to California, he failed miserably. He followed the directions that were ingrained into his subconscious, but instead of arriving in Los Angeles, he popped out into a professional football team's locker room. While regaining his bearing he saw a slightly lit sign that read _Pittsburgh Steelers._ He was in Pennsylvania, twenty-five hundred miles away from the Golden State.

In an effort to stay awake he pulled on the ski mask, and immediately felt revitalized. He felt the darkness pouring into him as he quickly became one with it. He then started state hopping until finally arriving at DOA studios. He gave a friendly drachma to Charon, who was frozen at the sight of a demigod wearing Hades' symbol of power, but Percy went about his merry way.

He was state-hopping to find a humongous red rubber ball, so as he approached the judges he went straight towards the Warden of the Underworld. He pulled out the ball and threw it over to him. He watched on in amusement as the three heads of Cerberus fought for it before the one on the left pulled it away from the others. It plopped the ball in front of Perseus, that was now covered in spit, and waited patiently for him to throw. The ball didn't disgust the son of Artemis and he threw it over to them again. This time to keep them occupied he pulled out a few more balls and rolled it over to them. Not wanting to waste any more time, he shadow-traveled to Hades.

So as he stood in front of Hades, looking thoroughly foolish, Hades forced himself to withhold his glare. Because even he couldn't deny that Perseus looked as simpleminded as a fish. He spoke with an even tone, "Perseus, care to explain?"

"I, uh… found your helm." He took it off to add effect. Once he stopped shifting it in hands, it began to glow in Hades' presence. Perseus almost jumped as the hidden power exploded in the demigod's face. He also never noticed his great-uncle's hand opening, only that the helm shot out of his hands into the elder god's.

"Indeed you have, " Hades commented. The Lord of the Dead brought it to his face for closer inspection, the deepening frown making Perseus' eyebrow raise in confusion.

"Is something wrong?" Perseus couldn't imagine anything bad that happened to the helm. It was only in his possession for an hour, most of it of him taking advantage of traveling to different states without fatigue, but that was it. It never dropped or fell, it wasn't dented or bent in any way. In fact, it looked like it was just washed.

"No… it appears to be in fine condition." He stopped looking at it to glare at Perseus, who flinched somewhat. He recovered in record time despite the ferocity of the glare, serving as the motivation for Hades' frown to deepen even more. "It is tainted by humans. I believe it was you."

Perseus felt his eyes go big as he scrambled for an answer to the unasked question. "You see it was pure, for the most part, in the beginning."

"Did something happen? Did you find who stole it?" Hades asked.

"Yes, it was actually Ares. The same man who gave Thalia Zeus' bolt."

"Ares," he said, the curiosity dripping out of his voice. "Interesting, but not at all surprising. This would've caused a civil war, which he would have benefited on greatly. So you learned that Ares was the one who stole the bolt, what did you do when you found my helm?"

Perseus found the floor remarkably interesting if the strong look he gave it was any indication. "I didn't actually realize your bolt was there at first. My emotions took over faster than I can think. With all the 'finding the Lightning Thief' nonsense, my brain went on cooldown when Ares admitted his transgression."

Hades stared at Perseus' form for a second, before leaning back on his throne. He gazed on his returned symbol of power as he thought of what to say. He found that he couldn't, so he thought about how similar the boy was to his mother. _He did the same as she would. Letting emotions take over and control actions. If Percy did attack Ares, then it can be directly compared to what Artemis did with Kallisto._ The Lord of the Dead didn't know what to think of the impulsiveness at that moment but knew it might become a problem when he was training the boy.

Hades didn't truly know what exactly happened with Artemis that time, but he found out soon enough. It was the poet who originally wrote the stories known as Greek Mythology. Once he served his purpose with Athena and died, Hades found him in the lines awaiting judgment. The God of the Underworld granted him the ability of sight and had him write the stories all over again. Once finished Hades placed him in the Isles of the Blest. Never can anyone say that Hades is never a generous god.

Perseus, however, took the silence as a prompt to hurry up and finish. "I attacked Ares with my sword, Riptide, and fought on the Santa Monica Bay. He ended up disarming and picking me up by my neck, choking me. In order to stay conscious, I had to stop hiding in the shadows, so… he found out it was me."

At that Hades jumped forward, off of his throne, and looked at Percy in alarm. "And then what happened?" While Hades prepared for any repercussions just to get his symbol of power back, he didn't exactly expect any. With Perseus' strict-but-caring upbringing, he expected for the boy to successfully track down the helm without any trouble.

It didn't help when Perseus decided to dig his shoe into the floor. "I ended up kicking him off, grabbing and wearing your helm, and attacking Ares again. It was easy, I kicked his sword away leaving him weaponless. I was able to use your helm's fear capabilities, and forced him to swear on the Styx to not reveal anything about me, in any way, shape, or form."

Hades nodded his head and was internally impressed on the oath that Perseus made Ares swear. With the last part of the oath, the War God cannot even answer yes or no questions, write on parchment or speak telepathically about Perseus. The demigod actually made an unbreakable oath. But something didn't add up, "Then why do you still act the way you do. Even if we were forced to be together five days, giving me a little insight into you, I know you aren't nervous because you touched my helm. What else happened?"

The son of Artemis never looked up, eyes trained on the floor, and his foot seemed to begin making an actual hole in the floor. The tile was exceptionally brittle, so it wasn't exactly a feat, but it spoke volumes about just how nervous he actually was. "You see, Uncle when I crossed path with Ares… it was because I followed the questers. You know, because it was our original plan."

Dread slowly snaked its way to Hades, but he nodded his head anyways, gesturing for him to continue. Perseus didn't reply, and the Lord of the Dead realized it was because Perseus still wasn't looking. "Go on, tell your story Perseus."

And tell he did, "Well before I ambushed Ares, he was busy threatening Thalia, getting ready to kill her. Annabeth was already knocked out. In reality, it was because I let Ares threaten Thalia that I learned that he took part in stealing the bolt. After I had beaten Ares with my hunting knives, I first made him erase Annabeth's memory, and knock her out again, before swearing the oath. But… I didn't exactly do the same with Thalia."

It was silent in the room for a moment, with only the screaming souls from the Fields of Punishment serving as background noise. Suddenly, another mighty tremor shook the Underworld for the second time that day. Perseus unintentionally let his mind wander, and wondered if the those in Elysium, or even the Isles of the Blest, could feel Hades letting loose his power.

"Why did you not do the same with the girl!" Perseus was sure that his roar was heard all across the Underworld, probably scaring souls awaiting judgment. Bringing his mind back to the present, as to not get blasted into demi-dust, the son of Artemis locked eyes with Hades. He wasn't scared at all, his legs were definitely not trembling… _Right? Let me see—oh they are so trembling. I'll admit it, I'm scared and I'm gonna die. I'm scared and I'm gonna die._

Unbeknownst to the minor chant in the demigod's head, Hades placed his symbol of power atop his head. Let's just say demigods will never hold a candle to a god, or at least an elder god because Percy was on his knees whimpering at the sheer mass of fear emanating from Hades. "ANSWER ME!"

"I-it was an n-necessity, Lord Hades." Yup, definitely not stuttering. "Th-the deadline concerning the bolt, as you said, was at th-three in the a-afternoon in New York. At Santa Monica, it was close to eleven o'clock. If Thalia was knocked out then the deadline will pass, and Zeus would not have his bolt."

Thankfully, for Perseus, the shaking stopped, and Hades withdrew the fear the helm was radiating. With a quiet, but very angry tone, Hades said, "Could you have not done the same with the daughter of Zeus? Then as she is asleep you can become the shadow once again, and help then help her across the country."

Perseus, who was able to stand up again, had a thoughtful look on his face before looking down again in defeat. "Forgive me, Lord Hades. I did not think of that."

The said god took off the helm with a sigh and snapped his fingers. A pillar that stopped parallel to Hades' armrest, rose out of the dry dirt. He placed it there and whispered an incantation so that if anyone but him touch it, they will burn alive the moment they touch it. He looked back at the demigod and muttered, "Ignorant demigod."

Hades immediately regretted it, though, as he watched Perseus' entire body tense. "Perseus," Hades said, "Look at me."

He did, and Hades wasn't sure what emotion was painted on his face. One could guess that his face showed guilt, while another could guess it showed anticipation. It was like looking at his brother, Poseidon, like looking at the ocean: some days, one could tell what mood it was in. Most days, though, it was unreadable, mysterious. Hades noticed that Perseus had multiple similarities to his birth father as well, no matter how the demigod may feel about it.

"You have done what you could," Hades said. He struggled with finding the right words, not being used to comforting anyone. That's why he was still speaking from his throne and not face to face with Perseus. Even his tone of voice was monotonous. "You have found my symbol of power when everyone else would not. And if you truly vouch for Miss Grace on keeping you a secret, then I will not bother any longer about it. Tell me, Perseus Jackson, do you vouch for her?"

"I do," Percy said, without any hesitation. "Lord Hades, I firmly believe she will keep me a secret. To be completely honest, even though we are friends, I think she will keep me a secret so that she can take advantage of it in the near future. Not really intentionally, but it's in her nature."

"Ah, yes. She is a daughter of Zeus. Male or Female, they will always try to keep something from everyone if it will profit them. It cannot be helped, just like your disobedience."

"My what now?"

"I said to proceed at your own discretion if you encounter an Olympian. And Ares, unfortunately, is an Olympian. But I won't hold it against you because as I say again, you have returned my Helm of Darkness. But we will talk later. Once summer is over, keep an eye out, I'll send transport for you to return to the Underworld. Goodbye for now-"

"Wait!" Hades was bringing up his hands to flash Perseus away and stopped it in mid-air. He arched an eyebrow, signaling Perseus to say whatever he has to say. "Don't I get a reward or something? Like you said, Lord Hades, I did find your helm."

He was shocked at the audacity of the boy before a small smirk embellished onto his face. "You know you do not have to call me Lord, boy. I guess you do need a gift, don't you… Ah, I've got it." Hades stomped his feet, and Perseus started to hear the flapping of leathery wings. He turned around as the Three Furies arrived. They hovered in front of him for a moment before falling down into a kneel before Hades.

"My lord," the middle one said, "You called me and my sisters."

"Yes, but I only need you all as witnesses. Nothing more."

Hades rose out of his throne and walked over to Perseus. He placed his hands on the demigod's soldier and watched on in amusement as the demigod's eyes closed. "I, Hades, Ruler of the Underworld, announce that Perseus Jackson is now to be known as the Ambassador of Hades."

One of the worst feelings that Perseus has ever experienced, getting Hades' blessing, washed over him again. The shadows covered him once again like a shroud, engulfing him whole. Once the darkness receded, Perseus didn't feel that much different. Maybe a little less perceptive though, as Hades was once again seated on his throne, and the Furies were gone again. _Did that just happen or am I just hallucinating?_

"Uh… did something just happened or…"

"You are now known as the Ambassador of Hades. In my Household, this means you have the second-highest authority in the Underworld. On par with that of my children, but lower than my wife's or my own authority. And now, stomp your feet, imagine a hundred dollar bill."

Perseus followed directions and felt the earth shake a bit. Soon a small crack emerged and out popped a crisp one-hundred dollar bill. He picked it up and looked at his great-uncle in confusion, "You gave me another blessing, which allows me to summon money."

"You are now an ambassador," Hades said, "which entails that you are an official representative of the House of Hades. Of the financial department."

"So what, I have a job now?"

'Hmmm, no. Maybe in the future perhaps. Anyway, it is time for you to leave. Thalia might have already returned to that camp, and you have to be there. I will prepare everything, from training to meals. Well, Hestia will have to help me with the latter. Show off your gift in a subtle manner to the campers, something to keep yourself occupied. Farewell, Perseus."

And with that note, Hades snapped his fingers.

* * *

Percy walked past the borders with a small smile on his face. After falling onto the street outside of the camp, unceremoniously, Percy could hear the laughter and happy voices which instantly brightened his mood. Once he dusted himself off he found his backpack sitting on the floor beside him with a note that read, _That is for wearing my helm, the second punishment will come soon._

The last line of the note scared him, but Percy held his head high as he marched up the path to the fabled camp. He passed by the tree and allowed the smile to grow on his face. Unfortunately, he only took about thirty steps before his name was called out.

"PERCY JACKSON!"

To that very day, there were only a handful of people that could scare Percy, and his half-sister (really his cousin) Rebecca, was one of them. She stormed over, the look on her face saying everything without words, and Percy could only think once more, _I'm gonna die. I'm gonna die. I'm gonna-_

His thoughts were cut off when he felt himself being tackled to the floor. For a moment he could only see blonde, before feeling the weight hopped of him. Once he thought it was safe and that he wouldn't be smothered to death, his eyes opened to one of the angriest gazes of his entire life.

"Where were you?" She asked, not bothering to hide her anger.

Percy struggled to find a response. "I… Well you see… What happened… I was with…"

"You better not be trying to lie right now. Do you know how scared I was? I thought you were dead!" Percy recoiled as she yelled the last statement. He was going to try to ease her negative thoughts, but suddenly she dropped to the floor, hair draping over her face hiding from view.

"I haven't been so scared in my entire life." Her voice was so soft and fragile, Percy instantly stopped trying to defend himself. Instead, he went to hug her, feeling immense guilt creep up on him. "You're my little brother, and I know it's bad but I love you more than any of our other siblings. Everyone treats you like you have a disease, but I don't care because I know that there is something great in you. That's why I'm so hard on you; with our meals, and following our daily schedule, and treating our brothers nicer."

With every word, another drop of guilt poured onto Percy's skin. He cursed himself because again he didn't realize just how badly he affected those around him. The entire quest that Thalia was given, just led to one ignorant act after another, with him only realizing it after it was too late. He remembered the words Hestia spoke to him before he left Camp Half-Blood. _..._ _too much ignorance could be proven fatal. Such as not knowing the full story of an important argument, and making a big decision on it._

He didn't know the full story of who exactly stole the bolt, but no one did. Percy realized that instead of waiting until everything came into the light, he went after it head-on without reluctance. That was a huge decision on his part, and other than Hades receiving his symbol of power, there really weren't any benefits to what he did. Sure he taught Ares a thing or two, but even Percy knew that Ares was working for someone. So that means while he found Hades' helm he, in turn, scared Rebecca and most likely his other siblings.

The son of Apollo replayed his sister's words in his mind, and he gasped in realization, "You were hard on me because you wanted to bring me closer to you and our family. So when you didn't find me in the morning, and the entire day-"

"I thought I ran you away from us," she said, tears streaming down her pretty face. "That I made you think roughing it out in the mortal world was a millennia times better than staying at camp with me. It hurt, with you gone and thinking you hated me."

Her words unknowingly brought Percy down memory lane. When Artemis accused him, the Hunters that already didn't like were quick to turn on him. But some of the ones who did like him did as well, and Percy couldn't help but think if what he made Rebecca feel was similar to what those Hunters feel now.

"I'm sorry, Becky." He hoped the nickname would help. "I'm really, really sorry." She nodded into his hair, as she was still taller than him sitting down, and reciprocated his hug. They stayed there, a couple feet away from the border, just hugging one another. Percy could hear her rhythmic breathing, meaning that she was asleep. It was like that for awhile, not that either of them minded, but soon the sound of hooves was heard.

"Ah, I see you are back. And what else, the one who was worried the most found you first."

Percy looked up from the embrace to see the Trainer of Heroes. He gave a respectful nod and said, "Lord Chiron."

"How many times do I have to say it, young Perseus? I am no god and will never be one. Call me Chiron, there is no need for the formalities."

"I will when you stop calling me Perseus. I like Percy better." He responded childishly.

Chiron froze at the response, and Percy couldn't tell what the centaur was doing. A small amount of panic found its way to the demigod and thought that the old centaur was figuring out his past. He was able to avoid him for a month, and he wanted it to stay that way. "Everything alright, Chiron?"

"Yes, your demigod scent." Chiron noticed the twitch in the demigod's hand. "It started to act up for a moment, but it is fine now."

Percy nodded his head, wanting to get rid of Chiron as soon as possible. He didn't look like he would be going anywhere though, so Percy asked, "Was there a reason for why you came here?"

The centaur blinked for a moment, before snapping himself out of it. "Yes, I expected Thalia and Annabeth. As everyone knows, the deadline for the bolt was the afternoon of today. Since there wasn't a show of power and Dionysus leaving for Olympus, I only assumed that the questers were going to show up. That and to ease their worries."

"Excuse me?"

"Last week, Grover appeared in the middle of the mess hall, face petrified in fear. He started to sputter something about the Mother of all Monsters before fainting. The satyr has a history with both Miss Chase and Miss Grace. I can only expect them to be sorrowful thinking the lost one of their first friends."

Percy nodded his head in understanding and Chiron noticed that nothing he said was a surprise at all. "And now that you found me instead?"

"Well, now that I have found you…" He stroked his beard for a minute. "I can… send you off to find Mr. Luke Castellan."

Percy grimaced, ''Why him? Are you sure that Silena or anyone doesn't need help?" He really didn't want to see the Head Counselor of the Aphrodite cabin, but it was better than being with a male in the eyes of Percy. His heart sunk, however, when Chiron shook his head. "Alright fine. Where is he?" Chiron pointed to the Arena and Percy went on grudgingly.

Percy got to the sword-fighters arena and found that Luke was exactly where Chiron thought he was. The son of Apollo saw his gym bag was plopped at the edge of the stage. His orange counselor's shirt was dripping with sweat, as he began whaling on battle dummies with a sword Percy had never seen before. His expression was so intense, his life might've really been in danger. Percy watched, unimpressed, as he disemboweled the whole row of dummies, hacking off limbs and basically reducing them to a pile of straw and armor. Percy couldn't deny how skilled Luke was, and found himself wondering how he possibly could have failed in his quest. At least that was Percy had heard.

Finally, Luke saw that he had an audience, and stopped mid-swing. "Percy."

Percy ignored greeting him back and gestured over to the demolished dummies. "Those dummies won't be bothering anybody any-more."

If the son of Hermes was miffed at being ignored he didn't show it. Luke shrugged. "We build new ones every summer." Now that his sword wasn't swirling around, Percy could see something odd about it. The blade was two different types of metal-one edge bronze, the other steel.

Luke noticed him looking at it. "Oh, this? New toy. This is Backbiter." Luke turned the blade in the light so it glinted wickedly. "One side is celestial bronze. The other is tempered steel. Works on mortals and immortals both."

Now Percy was no stranger to the death of mortals, as he watched the Hunters kill plenty males that had wandered into their camp. He knew that Olympian silver was the only metal could kill mortals and immortals, but a weapon with celestial bronze and steel? "I didn't know they could make weapons like that."

"They probably can't," Luke agreed. "It's one of a kind."

He gave the son of Apollo a tiny smile, which Percy returned with a scowl as Luke then slid the sword into its scabbard. "Listen, I was going to come looking for you, but you weren't here. I just wanted to offer you an olive branch to welcome you to camp, seeing as you are distant with everybody. So, what do you say we go down to the woods, and look for something to fight?"

Percy hesitated, wondering why Luke was being so friendly. Ever since he'd arrived at camp, Luke was always giving the evil eyes. But then Rebecca's tears made its way back into Percy's mind, and he relented. His sister wanted him to treat his brothers better, so why not start with Luke. _Even though there's a huge difference between the two._

They left for the woods and quickly found that no monsters were coming out to fight. Percy held back a snort as his old instincts kicked in, knowing that no monsters were gonna show up with how hot the day was. They ended sitting on top of Zeus' fist, a pile of rocks in the forest they were in, shaped like a large fist. Percy sat as far as possible from Luke, but they had a nice conversation going. That is until Percy carelessly asked, "You miss being on a quest?'

Percy didn't realize his mistake until his Luke's face darkened.

"I've lived at Half-Blood Hill year-round since I was fourteen," he told me. "Ever since Thalia … well, you know. I trained, and trained, and trained. I never got to be a normal teenager, out there in the real world. Then they threw me one quest, and when I came back, it was like, _Okay, ride's over. Have a nice life._ "

Percy couldn't see what the problem was. "I don't know about you, but I wouldn't trade any of this for anything. Thalia is alive now, and she is tied up there with Rebecca as my two favorite people. We have archery and pianos, and I even heard that those who come from quests get laurel wreaths."

"The heck with laurel wreaths," Luke said. "I'm not going to end up like those dusty trophies in the Big House attic."

"Aren't you a year-rounder? You make it sound like you're leaving camp."

Luke gave him a twisted smile, and immediately put the demigod in front of him on high alert. "Oh, I'm leaving, all right, Percy. I brought you down here to say goodbye."

He snapped his fingers. A small fire burned a hole in the ground at their feet. Out crawled something glistening black, about the size of Luke's hand. A scorpion. Percy didn't even hesitate, pulling out his knife before killing it effortlessly.

"Interesting," Luke cautioned. "Pit scorpions can jump up to fifteen feet. Its stinger can pierce right through your clothes, even that thick hoodie you're wearing. You would've died in sixty seconds."

"Luke, what-" Then it hit Percy. "You were the one Ares was talking about. He told Thalia, _the look of being double-crossed is funny on you. Can't wait until you learn who really stole it._ She would look betrayed because it was you."

"Well look who's paying attention, sun-spawn. Or should I say, moon-spawn?" Luke grinned as Percy froze in place, totally unaware of the second scorpion coming behind him.

Percy ignored the fact that Luke knew his secret. "You're going against Olympus."

"Yes, I am. The first step should've been completed a month ago. Kronos did complete a masterful plan. But of course, you had to ruin everything."

"The first step was to kill me?"

"You would've been a strong candidate. A great fighter for our cause, but you were too attached. We weren't going to take any chances."

"He's brainwashing you, boy."

"You're wrong. He showed me that my talents are being wasted. You know what my quest was two years ago, Percy? My father, Hermes, wanted me to steal a golden apple from the Garden of the Hesperides and return it to Olympus. After all the training I'd done, that was the best he could think up."

Percy growled at the mention of the Hesperides, thinking of Zoe. "That's not an easy quest, Hercules did it."

"Exactly," Luke said. "Where's the glory in repeating what others have done? All the gods know how to do is replay their past. My heart wasn't in it. The dragon in the garden gave me this," he pointed angrily at his scar, "and when I came back, all I got was pity. I wanted to pull Olympus down stone by stone right then, but I bided my time. I began to dream of Kronos. At first, I thought he was crazy, but he showed me you. I was confused until Artemis showed up, picking you up, kissing you like it was the most normal thing ever. It wasn't fair for you to be treated so differently."

Percy rolled his eyes. _This is all because the big baby felt neglected._ "So you stole the bolt and the helm?" He questioned.

"Ares stole the bolt. It was easy, just wait until Zeus goes into some mortal bar to get drunk. Ares spiked all the drinks there so it was inevitable. Once Zeus closed his pretty little eyes the potion would keep him asleep like a mortal. Ares literally walked in, took it, and left. No. Trouble. Whatsoever. You were so supposed to get blamed as Zeus already was wary of you. And you were, but you just had to run away. When the gods realized what really happened, everyone was called to Olympus. Ares snuck me in, and I stole Hades' petty helmet of fear."

"You do realize you're being used." Percy's tone was matter-of-fact. "You and Ares both. Listening to Kronos won't get you anywhere."

"I've been used?" Luke's voice turned shrill. "Look at yourself. What has your birth father, Poseidon, ever done for you? Oh yeah, leave your actual mother to die by a monster from his own domain. And then the maiden goddess was going to give you up to die. Just to protect her image. Kronos will rise. You've only delayed his plans, but we will kill you soon. He will cast the Olympians into Tartarus and drive humanity back to their caves. All except the strongest; the ones who serve him."

Percy readied himself, "Over my dead body."

"Was there any other way?"

Percy looked at him in confusion, before feeling his eyes go wide. "Good-bye, Percy. There is a new Golden Age coming. You won't be part of it." He slashed his sword in an arc and disappeared in a ripple of darkness.

Percy didn't notice because he reached around his body and picked off the dead scorpion from his back. Its stinger was missing, but Percy knew exactly where it was. _There was a second one!_

His body was able to fight it off for a moment, as he dealt with the injury before with the Hunt. But as he was able to leave the forest, he felt his feet give out. Desperate, Percy looked around before finding a familiar face.

"Grover!" The said satyr turned from the nymph he was talking to, seeing Percy's broken form he rushed over as fast as his goat legs could take him.

"Percy!" Grover bleated. "Are you alright? I kept our secret, I didn't tell a soul. Well, Juniper kinda got it out of me, but-"

"Help," Percy croaked. "Please..."

Grover shut up, nodded, picked him up, and took off to find Chiron. Percy's vision was slowly deteriorating, but he was at peace with it. Because he knew Luke was wrong, mostly. The demigod knew that the Zeus was tricked into think he stole the bolt. But Artemis didn't have to do what she did. They were a mother and son, their relationship stronger than any metal on Earth. So no, he didn't forgive her, nor Poseidon for leaving Sally Jackson to die.

But he was wrong. Luke was tired of camp and the gods. He was tired of being so different, but Percy loves being different. He loved growing up with his virgin mother and sisters. He loves Rebecca, Thalia, and his half-sisters. He wouldn't trade any of them for the world. _I might even like Grover… once he realizes my head is being dragged on the floor._

Soon everything went black, but Percy was fine with it. Because he knew everything was gonna be ok.

* * *

"That was most definitely not ok!"

"Oh hush, now we have to do your hair." Rebecca and Silena's grip was iron-tight. Whenever he was able to get out one of their grasps, the other would yank him back into place.

"I can bathe myself. I don't need either of your help," he whined, trying even harder to jump out of their grips. Percy was embarrassed beyond belief. Growing up with the Hunt, covering up was extremely important. Since Aphrodite wears revealing clothing, the Artemis wears loads of it to keep from looking like a vixen. So walking in front of everybody with only boxers on, while the girls were wearing bikinis, was enough to make him faint from embarrassment. He growled at boys who looked at Rebecca but hid behind her shoulder when girls were gawking at him.

"We weren't bathing you. We were waxing your legs, arms, and body," Silena clarified. Both demigods towered over him, which didn't boost Percy's confidence.

"I barely have any hair! I'm twelve and getting waxed while there are others older than me looking like mammals. And plus, Silena was rubbing my stomach too much," Percy complained. Silena blushed at being caught, while Rebecca huffed in annoyance.

"We had to make sure you were clean before we waxed or else it wouldn't have worked. Now either you honor our deal, or you will be staying year round with me." Rebecca turned her gaze to the red-faced daughter of Aphrodite. "And really, you're touching his stomach? He doesn't have stomach hair there."

"I know, but he has abs! Sure they're not really defined, but the only other person who had abs was Luke. I couldn't help myself."

"He's two years younger than you!"

"Age is an issue of mind over matter. If you don't mind, it doesn't matter."

"You're quoting Mark Twain! That's meant if a man is thirty-two and a woman is twenty-six. Not for twelve and fourteen-year-old demigods."

"Annie loves Luke! They got, like, seven years on each other and no one says anything."

"I'm not Annabeth's friend!"

Percy tuned them out, instead choosing to remember the _deal_ he worked out with Rebecca. It all started when he woke up after the poison sting with the daughter of Apollo hovering over him. They spent no time discussing Luke and his betrayal, because apparently everyone figured it out, and went straight into where he was for the past week and a half. For having an uncle as the God of Truth, Percy was really proud—and guilty—of his lie.

He told her something happened between him and his mother, making him run away, that being the reason why he was exhausted in front of Thalia's Pine. His uncle somehow figured out what happened and learned how to Iris Message him. He was scared and frantic, so Percy left in the dead of night to tell his uncle everything. That's when Rebecca asked him did he robbed a bank, to which he shook his head, to which she pulled out his backpack that was filled to the brim with hundred dollar bills.

Percy announced that his uncle wants him back by the end of summer and that he'll give Rebecca the money as a gift. Rebecca said that Percy had to be her "right-hand man" for the entire summer as well, to which he responded with "Deal."

He had no idea what he got himself into.

The ever generous Rebecca offered every girl in camp to come with her to shop for clothes. They got Mr. D to ask Apollo what will be the hottest day of the summer, so they didn't have to worry about monsters. July 1st was the day, which marked the worst day of Percy Jackson's life. He woke up at the ungodly hour of 5:00 AM because as his position of, right-hand man, he had the be the sole boy to go shopping with fifty plus girls.

They took four vans, three for the demigods and one to put everyone's stuff in. They hit three different malls and shopped into every girl store known to man. It was endless, and Percy found himself for the first time wishing there was a male to talk to. He tried to say he was hungry, but apparently, malls have food courts. It was when they were traveling to the fourth mall that Hades' note echoed into his head, _the second punishment will come soon._ Percy was left a shuddering mess the time they returned to Camp Half-Blood and silently vowed to never shop again.

Rebecca then continued to guilt-trip him into staying by her side for the entire summer, not that Percy minded. He thoroughly enjoyed himself and was glad to see Thalia enjoying herself as well. Her and Annabeth were in a small mood when they heard about Luke, but got over it after the shopping spree. Annabeth was crying into Grover's shoulder when they returned from their quest, while Thalia only shot him a suspicious glance.

She never did ask him anything concerning Hades and his shadow-traveling.

Percy was so deep in thought that he didn't notice Rebecca calling him. "I'm sorry, what?"

"Let's go, Silena is waiting." She held her hand out gesturing towards the open door.

Percy looks down and realizes that his hands were no longer in their vice grip. He turned around and tried to make a break for it.

Right into Silena's arms.

She lifted him up with surprising strength and began to take him into the cabin. He struggled as he was carried over her shoulder. "Why are you so strong? Aren't I supposed to be stronger than you?"

"We're demigods, Percy. That means we're stronger than most humans our age."

She plopped him down into a chair that was in front of a mirror. She began to mess around with his hair, seeing what options she had. Rebecca found a chair and sat near them. "What are you going to do with it? You can't comb it because trust me, I tried. Oh, are you going to cut it all off, then train his hair from the beginning?"

Percy paled at the idea. He has never gotten a haircut his entire life, he didn't know what to think. _At least she's a daughter of Aphrodite, the Head Counselor even._

"I could… nah. Once you got him to take his hood off, I've been kinda used to him with his hair. It fits him. I think I'm only going to wash it." She pulled at his hair some more before nodding. She pulled out a sink from the wall while grabbing some shampoo and conditioner.

Percy eyed the sink. "Where in the world did you get that?"

"Oh, this? Charlie made it for me." Silena had a goofy smile on her face, like a schoolgirl thinking of her crush.

Rebecca took a sip of her water bottle. Where she got it, no one knows. "Oh spare me the details. Your male best friend working up a sweat, while you are the only one in here with him. I could only imagine what happened in here."

Silena face went redder than ever before, "Shut up. Now is not the time for that. Now is the time to help Percy look good for his girlfriend, Thalia"

Rebecca snorted while Percy looked confused. "Trust me Silena, Thalia and Percy are not a thing."

She started to rinse his hair, "But he always goes to her right after he leaves you."

Percy decided to interject, "Girlfriend? Is it because she's a girl and my friend. Does that mean you're all my girlfriends too?"

Silena tripped over her feet making water go everywhere, while Rebecca began to choke on her water bottle. Once they regained their bearing, they began stuttering very loudly, that they are most definitely _not_ his girlfriend. They started to explain what was actually meant while trying to talk over the other. It became a shouting match, while Percy looked through the mirror confusion laced through his innocent face.

Meanwhile, Dionysus and Chiron were in the middle of a game of pinochle. This was their third game in the row, and Dionysus was determined to win at least one that day. Chiron heard the screaming from the Aphrodite cabin, and his keen ears were able to pick up Percy's name several times. He turned to look at the cabin with a soft smile, "Perseus seems to be one special child, no?"

Mr. D looked over at the cabin, before looking back at their game. He made a move and took a long swig of his pop.

"You don't know the half of it."

* * *

 **A/N: REVIEW! And finally, we are done with the Lightning Thief Arc. Good riddance, to be honest. It was starting to get annoying. But it's important because this marks the beginning of Percy's life outside of Artemis. You all thought that Grover was dead, but no one realized that there was no flower. When satyrs die, they are reincarnated as flowers right where they died. This story is an extreme attention-to-detail type of story.**

 **REVIEW! A lot of things came around full circle, and now you know the plot. Now I have a couple questions for all of you. I have this crazy idea that Percy should become the newest God of War. I was thinking have Ares become heavily involved with Kronos. At the end of the War Ares gets sent to Tartarus while his domains switch over to Percy. But honestly, I really don't know if it will work.**

 **REVIEW! Also, should Zoe live or die? As you see in the final scene I was trying to have Rebecca become Zoe's temporary replacement. I'm leaning for her to die because that helps me lead into Piper (You'll see it soon). Also, my outline already dictates that Zoe dies. Bianca, I will guarantee, will not die. No one will die near that part.**

 **REVIEW! The Sea of Monsters is going to be quick, I promise. Only two chapters. I want Percy to hurry up and get older. But once again, it is crucial because it will bring the second (really the third, because there are Rebecca and Thalia), influential character to Percy.**

 **REVIEW! What reward should Percy get at the end of the Titan War? Remember, his blood is going to force him into godhood at eighteen. That being said, he still needs a gift. And don't worry about how Piper is going to fit in with Percy being becoming a god.**

 **REVIEW! Mini Rant Time! Ready? Ok, so I have never read the Hero of Olympus series, but I did read the summaries. I tried, I really did, but it was next to impossible. I didn't like the characters at all. But I'm going to try my hardest and... study Anaklusmos14's Intertwined Destinies. Told ya it was small. :)**

 **REVIEW! Shout out to all my readers. I do in fact realize that Chapter One is extremely cliche, but really. What are ya gonna do? I got into the fanfiction game way too late. Still love you guys though. I changed the rating to M, but not because of you guys. My friend told me that I should do it because "It brings out all the freaks!" Needless to say, I laughed my heart out and changed the rating.**

 **REVIEW! REVIEW! REVIEW! REVIEW! REVIEW! REVIEW! REVIEW! REVIEW!**

 **Again thanks for even reading. Share to others, like it, add it to your library.**

 **You won't regret it.**


	11. Chapter 11

**Beaches**

Percy arrived to absolute chaos.

He was on his way to camp when Hades had his furies bring him right back to the Underworld. The demigod was told that a quest was already started and that he should keep an eye on the participants. Then he was forcibly transported and deposited on a rowboat. Percy had no idea where he was supposed to go, but he trusted his instincts and followed the weird lines on the sea. There were numbers on the lines in the water, and whatever numbers glowed were the numbers he followed.

He remembered the stories, somewhat wistfully, that Lauren used to tell him. If the odd color of the water was any indication, then he was in the monster-infested Sea of Monsters. Percy would never admit it, but he was very much relaxed at sea. He wished he wasn't but he found that he couldn't deny it. With the fresh and salty wind, and the vibrant green water that glittered more than any jewel, Percy could stay in the sea for years and probably never get tired.

Eventually, the tranquility came to an end, as female screams and male roars overloaded his ears. Thanks to his advanced eyesight, he was able to make out an island twenty-two nautical miles out. For a normal demigod or mortal, they would've had to been ten nautical miles away to see the island. As he got close, Percy started to see a small collection of marble white buildings, a beach dotted with palm trees, and a harbor filled with a strange assortment of boats.

Really strange was an understatement. Percy saw a couple of pleasure yachts, a U.S. Navy submarine, several dugout canoes, and an old-fashioned three-masted sailing ship. There was also a helicopter on a helipad, a short runaway with a Learjet and a propeller plane that looked like a World WarⅡfighter. Some seemed to be on the move, though, as he slowly washed up on the shore and the yachts had begun to leave the ports. Percy noticed that the ships were modern and that some of the people on there were screaming their hearts out, their eyes never leaving the island.

It was when Percy truly arrived to the chaos, and his feet were on land, did he see everything in its entirety. There were screaming spa workers and pirates ransacking the island, which Percy deduced as a resort. _Wait, Pirates!?_ Men who were dressed in breeches and stained white shirts broke the tiki torches for the luau, threw herbal wraps into the swimming pool, and kicked over tables of sauna towels.

The Ambassador of Hades felt a small inclination to jump in and help the ones who couldn't fight, but something else caught his eyesight. A flash of blonde, black, and brown caught his eyes, as he saw three young girls, all wearing orange t-shirts, sprinting down the hill toward the docks. The blonde, Annabeth Chase, the know-it-all. They didn't exactly become friends until Thalia introduced them to one another last Summer.

The brunette, Clarisse La Rue, the modern female barbarian. Percy thinks that while Ares was held to an oath to keep quiet, his hatred of Percy rolled off onto his demigod children. All of cabin five turned on him for no apparent reason, at least to the campers. Clarisse, however, has a small grudging respect for Percy, making their friendship strained but very much visible. The last one, Thalia, needs no introduction. Percy's favorite aunt, the resurrected daughter of Zeus, and the fabled Prophecy Child.

He carefully followed them, knowing getting caught wouldn't help him in the slightest. To Percy's delight surprise, he was blissfully unaware of Hestia's monthly visits. It was during the month of November when the Goddess of the Hearth revealed that his direct involvement got the attention of Olympus. Luckily for him, they had no idea who interfered, but that didn't mean he could get more careless. He eventually got close enough to hear their conversation.

"Come on," Clarisse's gruff voice was easily heard, "Circe isn't going to be distracted forever. We have to go!"

"Well, which ship?" Annabeth asked, and she turned to her side. "Thalia?"

Percy could see the perspiration dripping off the Daughter of Zeus' forehead. He couldn't exactly sympathize with her, but he knew why she was so nervous. Her father being Zeus and traveling the sea, her uncle's domain. Zeus and Poseidon were never known to have the greatest relationship. But when she looked over at the aeromobiles, she didn't look like she was going to have a change of heart.

"I-I don't know. Maybe… that." She pointed a shaky finger towards the old sailing vessel.

"What? But aren't you tired of being in the sea? Why don't we try the helicopter?"

"Shut it, Annie. She picked the ship so that's where we're going."

Annabeth blinked. "But—"

"I can make it work," Clarisse assured her. She didn't care for the response and immediately started to pull the demigods to the three-mast ship. Percy followed them, taking cover in every piece of shrubbery he came across.

"How?" Percy rolled his eyes at Annabeth's persistence. _Doesn't she know to just go along with it? Lauren is nothing like her._ As he advanced closer to the ship he was able to see a name painted on the prow of the ship. He stopped his trailing to decipher it, taking a little longer than he liked. He still had ADHD and Dyslexia, no matter his origins. When the girls were safely on the ship, Percy finally figured the name out: Queen Anne's Revenge.

He got to the ship and decided to hop in the shadow that the vessel provided. He traveled to the deck of the ship and hid there. He watched the demigoddesses go at each others neck while Thalia curled up in the fetal position in the corner. He didn't really pay attention to whatever they were arguing about and decided to take in the view of Queen Anne's Revenge.

He looked around at the hopeless maze of sail and ropes. The ship was in great condition for a three-hundred-year-old vessel, but it would still take a crew of fifty several hours to get underway. As far as Percy could tell, they didn't have several hours. For the second time that day Percy felt a sense of peace he hasn't felt in a long time.

Soon, Clarisse threw her hands up in exhaustion and turned away from Annabeth. Before wisdom's daughter could even call Clarisse on her disrespectful action, the Daughter of War was already down a hatch to the lower deck. Annabeth was right on her tail. All was quiet if one was to ignore the screaming on the island behind them. Thalia, who was still curled up, started to rock back and forth like she saw a ghost, so Percy decided to make an appearance knowing he might get in trouble.

"Thalia," he called out, effectively making her jump up with her spear and shield out. Percy held his hands up in surrender, making her lower her weapons. "Percy, what are you doing?"

"Are you okay? You seem… jumpy. Like, _really_ jumpy."

Thalia huffed and fell back into her corner. "What do you think?"

"I don't think you have anything to worry about. The King of the Gods is your father, no one would dare try anything."

"Yeah, I love not being bothered with monsters as much as normal demigods because my father is the king of the entire Greek world. Right? All monsters avoid me because of Zeus."

"Right," Percy exclaimed, "Why would any monster want to even be within fifty miles of your presence… why do you look like that?" He fidgeted under her glare and hoped her anger didn't allow the Daughter of Zeus to see it.

"Wrong Percy! They want me more than ever because of my father. Look at Heracles, Jason," her voice faltered at the name, making Percy's invisible eyebrow raise, "even the original Perseus had to fight tons of monsters. Our heritage doesn't drive away monsters, it attracts them more than ever!"

At that Percy was slightly speechless, as he had no idea what she was talking about. He didn't want to, but he couldn't help but think of his time with the Hunt. It was because of his mother that everyone had to chase monsters. The blessing of Artemis serving as a beacon, not to run towards, but to get as far as possible. The only time they ever attracted monsters is when Artemis is gone from the Hunt for days at a time, so close to never.

Thalia looked on at Percy's thoughtful look and made an annoyed sound. "I'm not afraid of any monster, Percy. We saw Luke again not too long ago and then there's the tree that's dying. Honestly, I'm just tired at being out on the sea. Poseidon may not be exactly who I thought he would be, but that doesn't mean I fully trust him to be in his domain. I want to be back at camp."

The moment she said it, she started to shiver uncontrollably. She looked around to figure out where the breeze was coming from, but then her eyes locked onto Percy's. It was then she realized that she wasn't shivering because of a drop in temperature, but out of fear from the piercing gaze from the son of… _whoever's kid he is. I never did ask him._

"You met with Poseidon." His deathly calm tone made her flinch involuntarily.

"Y-yeah," she stammered, before silently cursing herself. She had no idea why she was acting the way she was. "It was when I jumped out of the arch thing back at St. Louis. Poseidon was waiting at the bottom."

"And what? You just had a civil conversation with the man your own father is paranoid about?"

His harsh tone put Thalia into emotional defense mode. She may not have the smallest clue on the backstory between the two, but she was going to figure it out. "He certainly wasn't threatening me. What's your problem anyway? You know he asked about you, but I don't know why. First I think you're a son of Apollo, then you show up with all these shadow powers. After that Poseidon starts speaking about you, and then Ares starts saying that you're wanted by Olympus. I think you need to start explaining to me before anything is said."

Percy face transformed into a sneer, and he was ready to retort something back with the utmost disrespect. But just then two girlish screams sounded throughout the air. Well, to Percy at least, Thalia couldn't hear a thing and took Percy as ignoring her.

"Hey! When I speak you better listen!"

He ignored her again, "Is there anyone left on that island?"

She stared at him in slight shock before leaning back on the ship. "Obviously, there are a bunch of people. Is there anyone specific?"

Percy ignored the sarcasm in her voice and focused onto the island, "Someone that isn't a normal mortal." He started muttering to himself, a Thalia watched on as he is trying to connect dots. "This is the Sea of Monsters, and this is an island. Pirates that should all be dead, and there waving… celery sticks. Is this Circe's Island?"

Thalia at this point was more than astounded at how fast Percy deduced everything. She stood up and looked over to where Percy was staring. When she saw nothing but small people running across the island, she asked incredulously, "How in the world did you figure everything out?"

"I asked a question."

"Yes, but-"

"So is this Circe's Island? If it is, did she have demigods working for her."

She looked back at Percy with a sad look in her eyes. There was more to Percy that meets the eye, and even though she knows him better than everyone at camp, there is still a lot that she doesn't know. Poseidon is obviously a touchy subject. If Percy can respect her boundaries, then she should be able to do the same. But if the look on Percy's face is saying much, then she knows it just might be too late. "Yeah, this is the island. Circe turned Clarisse and I into a guinea pig because she hates my father. I can't say the same about Clarisse though, I think Circe thinks she was too ugly. Annabeth was able to free us from being those animals, but then the pirates were freed also. Circe had two other attendants alongside her."

"Then I gotta have to get them." He was prepared to jump but Thalia stopped him, "What?"

She opened her mouth but no sound came out. It wasn't her fault, apologizing was as familiar to her as an insect in space. She tried again but was cut off.

"Argggh!" A stray pirate yelled somewhere on the island, Thalia couldn't see but from the way her companion was looking, Percy clearly could. "Those scalawags are a-boarding me vessel! Get 'em, lads!"

"You have to leave. There's a quest for you to finish. I don't know what it is, but you have to go."

Thalia wanted to protest but knew he was right. But there was still one problem, "We don't know how. I mean Clarisse and Annabeth is our best chance at finding a way to work this ship, but that chance probably needs a day or two."

Percy's response was to close his eyes. The look of pure concentration on his face made her take a step back. When he opened his eyes, she half expected him to yell out ' _Eureka!_ ', but instead, he said, "Mizzenmast!"

Thalia looked at him like he was nuts, but in the next second, the air was filled with whistling sounds of ropes being snapped taut, canvases unfurling, and wooden pulleys creaking. Thalia ducked as a cable flew over her head and wrapped itself around the bowsprit. "Percy, how ..."

"I don't exactly have an answer for you, but I have to go Thalia." This time he didn't wait for any sort of resistance from her and ran into a shadow.

He didn't go far, just hopped out of a shadow that came from a helicopter. He put his hand in his pocket and pulled out a ballpoint pen. He knew what he had to do. These pirates are in the wrong time period and need to die. Nothing personal, but it can cause multiple problems if the pirates were to run around free.

It wasn't like it was going to be an internal struggle for Percy. He has killed mortal men before. It was during a normal trip to a city to refill supplies, and Percy heard a woman screaming at a man. Even though he always gets in trouble for doing it, he strayed away from his sisters and investigated. He found himself in a back alley, watching as a man tried to forcibly undress a woman. He didn't even know his arrow was ready until he shot it.

Phoebe and Zoe found him easily, seeing as they eventually heard the screaming, and found their brother hunched over a dead male with a woman in the corner. He was ten, just having his own tent for a month, but he found himself asleep within his mother's arms that night. After an encouraging discussion with Artemis and Hestia, he was able to sleep at night once again. The rest of that year, until he turned eleven, Percy had killed over a hundred more vile men.

Though his mother was always aware of how different he was in killing men. Percy knew he was more… understanding than most of the Hunt. His restraint was definitely there if dealing with the boys of Camp Half-Blood was any indication. But there were times, when Percy resided with the Hunt, that he showed that there needed to be a change.

The first moment was when they stumbled upon a small campsite. There were two tents, one significantly bigger than the other. In the middle was a small campfire, where a man and two girls sat. After eavesdropping on the conversation, it was found out that the man was a father who went on a small camping trip with two of his children. The mother was apparently on an important business trip and had to miss the camping outing of her family.

Percy looked on fondly, reminding him of his own family, but his sisters apparently thought different. They were ready to kill off the male for no reason at all except for his gender. He told them all to stand down, and they all listened because of how frantic he was. One hunter, who really didn't hear him, took her opportunity and shot her arrow. Percy was able to dive in, have the arrow land in his palm, and roll back into cover before the small family spotted him.

The girls at the campfire were delightfully unaware of the actions surrounding them, but the same couldn't be said for the father. He had his children safely brought back to their tent, which was the bigger one. He went back into his smaller tent and came back out with a loaded shotgun. By that time, all presence of the Hunt and their mistress were long gone.

Once they were safe enough to make camp, a healer inside the camp set to work on helping Percy. He, of course, had to explain himself on helping to keep the life of a male, and he did so eloquently. He called out everyone for wanting to kill a man who was only trying to make his daughters happy and forget that their mother was away. Long story short, it was a quiet night for the Hunt. Percy making sure that every huntress was red with shame and embarrassment.

His judgment set him apart from his impulsive family, but it would align him today. Pirates are the worst of the worst in terms of men. Not a single good one to be found. If there was, then they shouldn't be called pirates. The Ambassador of Hades stomped his feet into the ground and a sword made of Stygian Iron flew out of the crack in the ground, into Percy's hand. Its name was Seismos which was short for Metaseismós or Aftershock in English. He took the cap of riptide to let loose his first weapon, Riptide. He wasn't used to having dual swords but knew he had to do it.

" _You may be a hunter now, Perseus, but you'll grow into a man eventually. A man won't be using hunting knives, but a sword and shield. If you choose not to use a shield, then call upon your uncle to see about you getting another xiphos."_

He waited in silence, attempting to hear the shrill screams once more. It was no easy feat, as there were the crashing of huts, constant panic from the resort, and roars from the pirates. He was raised better and knew following just any sea-loving marauder would just lead him in circles. If the girls were as young as the screams gave off, he couldn't afford to make mistakes.

He was in a ready stance, eyes closed, knees bent, and fingers twitching on his grip with the sword. It didn't take long for his ears to twitch, with the screams he heard from earlier sounding more desperate than before. He ran in an all-out sprint, ducking under tables and jumping over counters. He pushed past mortals that still haven't escaped the resort, and burst through the doors of what seemed to be the main building. He trudged up the stairs so fast, that he was sure anyone up there probably thought more pirate buddies. _Idiots_

He entered a big room, and couldn't help but let out a growl at the sight. The front walls were lined up with windows, at least, Percy could only assume. Everything was destroyed, from the mirrors lining the back wall to the used-to-be expensive cream colored furniture. There was a loom, larger than a hellhound, but the tapestry was ripped into shreds. In the corner was a huge guy with a long tangled pitch-black beard and teeth the same color. He wore mismatched clothes of wool and leather, knee-length boots, and a floppy felt hat.

His hand was wrapped along the throat of a beautiful woman: Circe, minor goddess of magic. Her hair was everywhere, gold threads draped across the floor, and her piercing green eyes were alight with fear and hysteria. Her black dress was similar to her tapestry, and the man was seemingly taking advantage of it. In another corner were a gang of pirates and the source of the screams. Thankfully their clothing was still in one piece, but the tan skinned women were still fighting a two against eight battle. It was only a matter of time. There were other pirates spread across the room, checking over their bodies and other women they grabbed from the resort.

Now, many pompous and overconfident men would've said something stupid to gain everyone's attention. Something along the lines of, 'Hey!' or something stupid like 'Now what do we have here?'. Those guys always die early. Percy was extremely more proficient and efficient than all of them.

The demigod, swords still drawn, charged. The pirates never saw him coming. He thrust Aftershock into the stomach of the closest buccaneer and stabbed Riptide into the neck of whoever else was near. His movements never stopped, and the bodies constantly dropped. His movements were somewhat stiff, but he was able to kill off seven pirates before they finally noticed what was going on.

"Oi!" the burly man holding Circe roared. "What yer problem lad, ye hurting me crew!"

"Me problem, ye bilge rat, be yer presence on this island. Release the women…" Percy narrowed his eyes in disbelief, "I recognize you. You're Edward Teach, son of Ares?"

"Aye, lad," the big man growled. "Though most call me Blackbeard! And this is the sorceress that captured us. Lads, run the boy through! I mean to find me a big bowl of celery, but first some revenge to the witch!" He looked at her and smiled his black-toothed smile, "Arggggh!"

Circe screamed and struggled against his grip as his hands tried to go under her ripped black dress. Percy wanted to go help her but the marauders that were all over the attendants turned their gaze on him. Even though he was successful with the deaths of the first pirates, they were unsuspecting of the attack. This would mark his first true fight with anyone wielding dual swords. _What do I have to worry about? They're just dumb men who like to ride on boats. It's not like they were able to face well-trained fighters of the English and Spanish military… They didn't win at least?_

Needless to say, he wasn't feeling too hot about the fight. He might've slightly paled when they gave him malicious smiles and possibly, just possibly, took an involuntary step back when they pulled out their steel cutlasses. He made an audible gulp but got in a defensive stance. He decided to envision them as a pack of hellhounds. _Just let them attack, dodge, and attack where they leave themselves open._

He had never been more wrong.

They were demigods, Percy was sure of that. The way the first pirate approached him, so fast that if he took a second to blink he would be a headless triblood. Percy was more skilled, however, and after a few minutes of combat, he was able to drive both swords through the small of the pirate's back. Seven more left, but this time two more advanced to end Percy.

This fight was significantly more strenuous. They circled him but didn't take turn swiping like Percy anticipated. They were in sync, covering one another's openings. Percy was only lucky to have dual swords, the ability to fight and defend both sides becoming more than crucial. It was quickly becoming lopsided, and Percy wasn't on the higher side. The duo backed the demigod into the corner thinking they had him where they wanted him, but Percy was battle smart.

Since he was in the corner, he could now focus on his front rather than his back. With a burst of speed, Percy swung Riptide as hard as he could, and, what seemed to be effortless, slit the pirates' necks. The adrenaline began to inundate him, and Percy soon could only see red. He stepped over the fresh corpses below him.

This time the roles were switched. The pirates' knees began to shake at how their comrades were dispatched, and their knuckles were visibly white at how tight their grips were. Percy was the one with the scary smile, eyes shining with malicious intent, not noticing that the pirates weren't the only one affected.

The younger of the female attendants never endured that much pain and terror before. She knew she had a bad history, as the reason she was here in the first place. Yet, she never felt true fear before the pirates raided the resort. It was all because of the girl with the lightning blue eyes, which she remember no matter what. But now, as she buries her face into her older sister's shoulder, she wonders if it's silver she should be afraid of.

Blackbeard was enjoying himself immensely. He was divesting the top part of the toga of the raven-haired goddess in front of him. She was slumped against the table she had him trapped for centuries on as a gerbil. He made to grope the goddess' breast, as it had _technically_ been awhile since his last encounter with a woman before his body tensed. He was one of the greatest demigods of the age of pirates, only being beaten by the only son of Poseidon of the time: Henry Avery.

He turned around, while drawing his sword, and met the celestial bronze sword coming for him with the strength of a true child of Ares. He kicked his opponent hard in the chest, sending Percy back into the huddled girls. Blackbeard surveyed the scene in front of him and could feel the tips of his beard burning.

"Ye killed me crew," Blackbeard stated, malice engulfing his voice.

"It was either kill or be killed. I wasn't going to be killed by some overwashed pirates." Percy tried to sound tough, but the strain in his voice wasn't really helping.

"You fought hard, but be savvy. I am no normal sea dog, but the best from me time."

Percy was still trying to recollect himself, which wasn't easy since the pirate spoke in somewhat proper English when Blackbeard charged. The legendary pirate pulled out a steel cutlass of his own and thrust the lethal blade where Percy's head was. The demigod felt his back hit the intact window behind him and ducked at the second swipe again. He destroyed the window and the wind outside seemed to howl in excitement as if applauding the duel in front of them.

Percy tried to take a step back but found that there was only a large drop behind him. The heavy laughter reached his ears, and Percy could practically feel the next slice coming. He dove into a forward roll in between Blackbeard's legs and kicked the man's back, with same ferocity used against him, sending the buccaneer flying to the sandy beaches below.

Percy paused to take a breath, the taste of blood overflowing his tongue. He closed his eyes and made a silent prayer to Hades that his opponent is dead, but Blackbeard's roar proved otherwise. He sighed, his stomach was aching from the injury given to him by the pirate's kick.

The triblood turned around and faced the two conscious occupants of the room. They were on the ground next to Circe's battered form. They weren't helping her, but huddled together, staring at him in fear.

"I'm going to see if I can kill him. If I do, which is most likely your best bet, wait for me here. If not, you need to leave and make an escape as soon as possible. Capiche?'

They didn't answer, the fear leaving their eyes and making way for shock. Percy groaned, he didn't have time for this. "Understand?"

It was the older one who answered, "How do we know if you win or not?"

He gave a rueful smile, "Well you're just going to have to watch from up here. Unless you're afraid of heights." Blackbeard roared again, and Percy's face became serious once again. "Gotta go kill the beast now. I'll leave Aftershock with you both, and I'll keep Riptide. I'll get it back after… y'know, if I live."

With that, he dropped his sword made of Stygian Iron and jumped out the hole he kicked the pirate through. Luckily there was a good amount of trees, and Percy could easily figure out which way Blackbeard fell. With practiced agility, he was able to make it to the ground safely.

The demigod found the legendary pirate seething near the shoreline. The man out of his time seemed to forego speaking and just plained charged. _Angry. That's good._ Percy smirked at the opponent soon to become victim. Once Blackbeard got close enough to try to land a hit, Percy burst forward and went under the strike before placing a few well-placed swipes on Blackbeard's back.

The pirate turned around, heat pouring out of his aura. He suddenly became faster, stronger, and was in Percy's face faster than the demigod eyes could perceive. Again, he swung his foot and sent the triblood flying into the tides behind him. The audible crack of bones could be heard everywhere across the sea of monsters. Blackbeard huffed in annoyed acceptance. Safe to say, the captain of Queen Anne's Revenge believed that he had finally killed his adversary.

He was wrong of course, but it was a fair prediction. Percy Jackson, however, was moaning and groaning in pain. He didn't notice it was all underwater, but to his credit, he just cracked four of his ribs. He was unaware of the sea picking him up in a cradle position as if a mother was holding her newborn baby for the first time.

A fine sea mist began to envelop him, and it made its way towards Percy's torso. It dissipated into shirt and began to massage the wound. Percy could only bite his lip, as he only felt a strange sensation start to touch him. This would mark the fifth time someone has spartan kicked him this week, forget about the month. The demigod was told that it would make his body more durable and that it would gradually build his stamina, but it's slowly becoming more than he could handle.

His face contorted into a look of pure pain, as the pain from his ribs intensified. In an attempt to not think about his battered body, he began to think of his past year in the Underworld. A certain conversation started to push its way into the forefront of his memory.

" _No matter your feelings on your past, you must recognize your heritage. Woe is the man who knows not where he comes from."_

" _I know where I come from."_

" _You do, but you do not acknowledge it. You must recognize and come to accept your past in order for you to move past and get stronger."_

" _I am getting stronger."_

" _Physically, but not Mentally. A great warrior is strong in both aspects. Come to terms with your legacy. If not, Perseus, then we should just stop training altogether, and let the Titans prevail. If you are not willing to put in everything, then you should put in nothing."_

" _Alright! Fine! What do I have to do?"_

" _Honor your birthright. The entirety of it. If not, surely you will die."_

Edward Teach felt the blessing of Ares leave him. He was special like that, able to call upon the blessing whenever he pleased, making him one of the fiercest pirates across the seven seas. He turned back to the resort and looked back up to the window he was kicked out of. He locked eyes with Circe's attendants and smiled a hideous smile.

"Oi!" He called out, reveling in the terror-stricken look of the girls above him. "The lad got me all worked up! Suppose ye could help me?"

He chuckled a wicked laugh before stopping abruptly. He didn't hear the twang of the first arrow being released, but he heard the second. It didn't matter, because the first arrow hit him right in the spine, successfully paralyzing him. He couldn't scream as the wind rushed behind him in small bursts. Each burst foreshadowing another arrow being lodged in his anatomy. He fell down without a single sound, on his back. The pain was astounding, as the arrow was driven clean through his body.

He was laying head up, arrows sticking out of him, pointy side out. By some supernatural occurrence, he was able to find his voice. He looked at the orange sky, watching as Apollo drove the sun. He heard footsteps and found a pair of silver eyes with a matching bow invading his view.

"What a way to die, aye lad?"

He wasn't surprised when the boy jumped, well he couldn't even if he wanted to. The demigod notched another arrow and pointed at him. "H-how are you able to talk? I paralyzed you."

"The witches," was all Blackbeard said.

"What?"

"The Fates, lad. Did the camp teach you nothing?"

Percy took a step back, but his bow was still ready. "Camp Half-Blood. You went, I assume."

"Aye. I was raised there since I was a wee little tyke. I know my mannerisms boy, but I am a pirate. I speak the way I do so I don't lose me mateys. Savvy?"

"I guess… still doesn't explain how you're able to talk to me though."

"Is there really a reason when it comes to those witches? I must need to say something to you, but what?" Blackbeard's smile was bloody, but the ache of sympathy was lost on Percy. "You know back at camp I had a bit of a rival. He went by the name of Henry Avery. Don't know how to spell his last name though, it was always clunky."

"You both became pirates, why?"

"He was a son of Poseidon, he couldn't help himself. A blaggard he was, always lying and telling false stories. I became a pirate because the Fates told me how I would die: by the hand of a child of the sea. See, I thought it was Avery, so I became a pirate to defend myself. Guess I was wrong, aye son of Poseidon."

Percy felt his face heat up in anger, "I am no child of Poseidon!"

"Oh? Ye eyes speak differently."

"What? My eyes?"

"They are different than Avery's, but still mark you as Neptune's son. Your eyes l-look l-like silver b-b-beaches, lad."

"You know nothing! I have no father, and I never will! My mother is my godly parent, and that is final."

"You hate your father?" Blackbeard asked incredulously. When the demigod that was towered above him didn't answer, he laughed at him. "A demigod who tries to cut his connection to his father! How do you expect to stay alive lad? When monsters come for ye and ye find that you can't fight back, what deity will you call to aid ya?"

"I can fight for myself. I don't need any god coming to save me."

"Yer brave lad and a wee bit of a scourge, but ye might as well be shark bait. For the family of the Seas, Poseidon is the eternal captain. Soon, ye will learn that either you follow him, or find yeself in Davy Jones' Locker."

"Yeah? Well, we'll see about that."

Blackbeard's eyes just stared at him, not showing any emotion. Percy was going to start yelling at him to respond until he felt a ping go off in his head. His eyes widened as he looked at the pierced pirate below him. Edward Teach, aka Blackbeard, the last pirate to ever live has passed into the Underworld.

Percy looked on in anger at the dead pirate below him, he kicked the body in anger. He took a deep breath to calm down though. He looked one more time at the deceased legendary pirate, but this time his eyes were glazed with reverence. He flipped him over and began to pull out the arrows he shot into the man. Once finished, Percy unhooked the pistol holders and wrapped them onto his own body. The demigod took the pirate hat off the man before dragging him out to sea.

The sea seemed to receive him openly as if acknowledging all the sailing the pirate did on their seas. Percy didn't wait for his body to disappear over the horizon, instead began to trudge over back to the main room with the girls above.

Along the way, he summoned a shadow to form a backpack. A nifty trick he learned from Hades. Even better, this is the same pack he started out with and kept all his belongings. He stuffed his mementos into the pack and hurried back to the girls.

He arrived to see them helping Circe into a chair. It seemed to be the only thing that wasn't damaged in the room. It reminded him of Hecate's throne, but somehow simpler. That doesn't mean it was a simple throne made of Olympian Silver, but it wasn't as magnificent and alluring as the Goddess of Magic's throne. With a sharp intake of breath, he recognized the signs of stirring and watched with anticipation as the minor goddess regained consciousness.

"Ahh, my head," Circe groaned. The two attendants wasted no time and were immediately at their mistress' side.

"Lady Circe, are you alright. How do you feel?"

"Hylla, Reyna, is that you? My mouth… it's so sore. By Hera, what is that smell? Is that… blood?"

Percy didn't know if the goddess meant to complain, but they meant well. The girls stood up quickly and began walking to a door, the oldest taking charge. "Reyna, get incense to get rid of the smell of blood. I'll whip up some tea that'll ease milady's pain." They seemed to completely forget about him.

The demigod took note of their concern over the goddess, seeing that it was so great that they were blind to how well nectar and ambrosia could assist the situation.

 _Perhaps there is none available to the attendants. Circe is a goddess of magic, be it major or minor, and probably relies on sorcery than the divine food of the gods,_ Percy thought as he pulled up a chair adjacent to the minor deity. He placed his backpack on his lap, opened it and pulled out Ziploc bags of ambrosia and a six pack of juice boxes.

"Lady Circe," he called out, making her head jerk over to him. She wasn't fully recovered, which meant her inability to discern friend from foe. Or it could have been Percy being a male. Nevertheless, Circe could only look at him in fear.

"Who are you?"

"Don't be afraid of me. I killed the pirates that were freed and terrorizing the island, including Blackbeard. As for my name, I'm Percy Jackson." He took a glance to see recognition flood her eyes but kept a lock on his demeanor. He punctured a single juice box with a straw and brought it to her mouth. "Drink, it's nectar."

Her mouth latched onto the straw that was in front of her face. She gave an embarrassed moan from the taste of the godly drink and finished far quicker than she would like. Already, Circe felt her strength come back to her. Once she stopped sucking, Percy pulled the juice box away and handed her a piece of ambrosia. She was able to take this time and ate it as fast as possible.

She held out her hand for another piece, already missing the taste, but was met with a blank stare. She tilted her head inquisitively to figure out the reason behind it, before realizing her fault. Or so she thought. "My apologies, thank you for the nectar and ambrosia. I haven't had it in such a long time."

"I'm glad you found the taste pleasurable. But now I think it's time that we talk."

Circe watched with dread as the demigod in front of her deposited the divine food back into his backpack. She was able to hide her fear and spoke with a voice with authority. "What is there to speak on. You know that your identity is not lost on me. What position are you in to make demands."

Percy wasn't rattled in the slightest and deftly shrugged off her attempt to seem superior. "I do believe that when a man saves the damsel in distress, she is forever in debt to her savior. At least that was what I was taught about Ancient Greece." He didn't want to take this approach, but he knew how stubborn Circe could be. She was weak and vulnerable, leaving her open to be taken advantage of. Fates know how blessed the goddess is for Percy's intentions to be strictly appropriate.

Circe played right into his hands, and her strong statue of power crumbled hastily. "W-what do you want?"

"The girls."

At this, the goddess stood up, with terror-stricken eyes. Her mind could only picture disgusting, vile outcomes for her followers. Percy, sensing her distress and pairing it with her fear of men, decided to speak up again, "Wait a minute, Circe. I don't want them for any sexual reasons. If you know my mother than you should know that."

"Then why do you need them?"

"Because you also know that you are not to have any followers. Those two girls aren't supposed to be here."

Circe glared at the demigod before her. Percy had to admit he was far too relaxed, leaning back into his chair with the backpack hanging off of one arm. "So it's only your mother who is allowed to have girls to follow her. What's the difference between us?"

"The difference," Percy started, "Is that she never kept Odysseus for a year just to have intercourse. You claim to hate men, but you have too many exceptions. Now that I'm thinking about it, I wonder which pirate you kept while everyone else was turned into guinea pigs. How many young women came with men they loved, only for you to keep, sleep with, and eventually kill."

"I don't–"

"The only men that came from the pigs were pirates, Circe, and the resort was filled with young women. I can put two and two together. So yes, the girls, who I think are demigods, need to leave with me. You have had your fun, and it almost resulted in two young girls to be assaulted by a gang of pirates."

Circe held her position and tried to stare Percy down, but knew she couldn't force him to back down. "You're as stubborn as your mother," she muttered before returning to her seat. "Fine, they will leave with you. But first, I have a few things to tell you."

"Which is?"

"They're Roman, not Greek."

Percy's mind went blank for a moment, before blinking fast. "Now when you say Roman, you do mean Roman demigods. With Jupiter and–"

"Juno and Mars, yes yes. I shouldn't be surprised, you are probably wiser than most on the matter."

Percy cleared his throat before speaking, "Wisdom has two key components: Knowledge and Experience. I'm only well versed in the knowledge department."

"As you should, Artemis wouldn't do something as detrimental as introduce you to the Romans. But as I have heard, you are on the run. You will have to venture out to the west coast and find Camp Jupiter, which is located in San Francisco Bay."

This time Percy didn't hold back his reaction and almost fell right off of his chair in surprise, yet Circe kept speaking though he wasn't listening. _So much for my strict upbringing._ The demigod's mind was flying at a mile a minute. He couldn't count how many times he has been in California's woods. _If it's a demigod camp, then it has to be hidden in a forest. We've camped in that state millions of times, how could I have never noticed._

"–face problems… Are you listening godling?"

"Uh… no. Do you mind repeating?"

Circe groaned and began to massage her temples. "You are very lucky that I am drained, otherwise I would've killed you the moment you dared ask for my girls. What I said, is that Hylla, the oldest, knows about her heritage, but Reyna is still blissfully ignorant."

"That could prove fatal."

"What?" Circe looked at him weirdly, but he shook his head in response.

"Nothing, but is there anything else you need to tell me? Do they have clothes or anything that they could take with them?"

"And why would we need clothes?"

Circe and Percy turned their heads, and there stood Hylla and Reyna. Their hands held the incense and tea they set out for, but their gazes held betrayal and curiosity.

Knowing she had to take charge, Circe was the one to speak first. "Girls! I'm glad that you all are safe and fine. It was a scare, wasn't it?" Percy raised an eyebrow at her approach but wisely said nothing.

It was effective though, as Reyna was quick to respond cheerfully. "Yes it was, but we made it out in the end. Thanks to… him."

"I agree completely. If was not for dear Perseus, Zeus knows what would have happened to us. That being said, I believe it is best for you both to leave with him."

"What?" Hylla interjected, "Why would we go with him. You are weak Lady Circe, we have to help you."

"Nonsense, I can go to Hecate's if I need to recuperate. But I think the tea and incense will be enough." She tried to reason with them, but even Percy could see the wall of defense slowing being built by both girls. "Come here girls, let's have a small chat."

Percy retreated to a corner as they approached, understanding the intensity of the situation. Reyna and Hylla were at their mistress' side and went down to kneel, but the minor goddess wouldn't have it."

"Milady?"

"Tell me something Reyna, Hylla, how did you feel when the pirates cornered us in this room?"

Percy watched the entire exchange with practiced silence, and he was sure that all three females forgot that he was even there. He didn't want to admit it or even think it, but the relationship between the trio was far deeper than the eye could see. It became nostalgic in a way, it reminded him of his family with the Hunt.

There were tears and long hugs, but the acceptance was unmistakable. Percy didn't know how long the girls have been there with Circe, but he knew that it was time to end. In reality, there wasn't a reason for him to take the girls, but it was better him than anyone else. If someone like Hermes were to arrive, the Olympian would probably indulge himself with the attendants before alerting Zeus.

It was the ole pirate's fault anyway, plaguing Percy with contradictory thoughts. If Fates truly did everything for a reason, then there was a reason why he could hear the screams all the way from Queen Anne's Revenge. There would be something special concerning Hylla and Reyna. What it was didn't matter at the moment.

"Hello! Hi! What's his name again?"

"Circe called him Perseus."

"Perseus! Oh. My. Gods… Perseus!"

"Huh, oh yes?" Percy was a little surprised at being caught off guard, and at the girls' appearance. They had on normal clothes, which meant t-shirt, jeans, and a jacket. Percy wasn't an expert on shoes like mortals were, but he guessed the shoes they had on were Converse.

"Aren't we supposed to go?" Hylla obviously wasn't happy about leaving if her attitude was anything to go by. They held pearls, similar to the ones Thalia had the previous year. Noticing Percy's look, Hylla decided to speak up again, "Circe said that you would have one yourself and that you know where this will transport us."

In response he looked past their shoulders, taking note of their backpacks, and saw that Circe and her throne were nowhere to be found. _Hmm, must've traveled to Hecate's palace. They are both goddesses of magic,_ Percy thought as he rummaged through his own pack. "No longer calling her Lady?"

"She dispelled our allegiance to leave with you. It is no longer fitting to call her Lady when she is not in our presence." Hylla tone was venomous, but Percy remained indifferent. Their stares on their faces were starting to make him uncomfortable, or rather Reyna's was. There was no malice behind it, just sadness with a hint of determination and acceptance. _Did I look the same a year ago?_

"Ah, okay then. I'm sorry…" He wanted to apologize but knew his efforts were fruitless. He cleared his throat, pulled out the pearl given to him last year, and started again, "Look what you have to do is smash it with your feet. Your body will be transported to Santa Monica Bay. Be careful, as you will have to swim up and to the shore. Got it? We'll go on three. One‐ Wait!"

Percy stomped his foot in frustration, not with the pearl underneath, and watched as both female bodies were covered in a bubble before sinking into the floor. It was then that Percy understood who annoying this could be. He counted to ten before finally concealing his annoyance, and smashed his own pearl, following the girls.

* * *

The island was left in silence. It was as quiet as it ever has been, with only the sounds of birds and wind zooming through trees. The tides near the site of Blackbeard's battle began to react unnaturally until a man holding a limp body came into view. There was no one to see the middle-aged man with exhausted sea-green eyes drop to his knees, letting the dead pirate drop to the floor.

Poseidon sighed and wiped his eyes of fatigue. He was in the middle of a meeting concerning threats to his kingdom when he felt it, he felt _him._ Poseidon knew he couldn't leave so he sent his essence to heal _him_ because the sea god could feel the pain in his own body. Once the meeting started to go array, mostly because he no longer focused on it, Poseidon ended it and immediately shot for the Sea of Monsters.

He ignored the calls of his wife and divine son in search of his forlorn son. He swam instead on flashing, in order to evade the watchful eyes of Olympus. Even if Zeus' daughter was well away from the sea king's destination, Olympus would lose their cool if Poseidon was caught even thinking about the quests.

When he arrived at Blackbeard's corpse, Poseidon expected the best. Believing his older sister, Poseidon had high hopes upon his arrival to Circe's Island. But as the elder god flared his aura in anticipation to a divine reaction, his heart dropped when all was soundless. He didn't try again because he knew false hope would get him nowhere. In order to keep his mind off regret, the sea king focused on the dead pirate before him.

"Come Teach, I have a special place for pirates as great as you. It's about time for you to reunite with your old friend Henry, no?"

With a bitter smile, Poseidon picked up the legendary buccaneer and returned to the seas. Leaving the tides to return to their sloppy kisses upon the sandy beaches.

* * *

 **A/N: Hey guys! It has been awhile. I appreciate the patience more than you guys could ever know. The stream of tests has slowed down to a trickle and I'm back on my grind. Unfortunately, the Sea of Monsters Arc is going to be longer than I expected. I envision the chapter then I type it. The lengths do always add up. I know most of you, if not all, love the length. But that means the updates will be far between. On to the chapter.**

 **Percy may have been a little overemotional, but we can all see that he definitely was NOT liking the fact Thalia spoke and related with Poseidon cordially. Can't wait to see how that will play out. Percy shares his insight with killing mortals, including a fight with Blackbeard. Really give a REVIEW on your thoughts on the fight. I'm not feeling too hot about it. Circe, Hylla, and Reyna have a little family scene, something that I feel might have been present in canon. Can anyone guess which is the next influential character in Percy's story? Last but not least, Poseidon. He looks like the guilt of what he did to Perseus and Sally is catching up to him quick. I always loved that Rick made Poseidon slightly more emotional than the other gods. Now, this may seem like all one big scene but three major events took place. Goal Reached.**

 **Now there has been a series of questions being asked, that has been frequent throughout the chapters.**

 _ **Is Piper coming before the Titan War, or after?**_ **Yes, she will be introduced into the story, and what a great time it will be. Though as a disclaimer, the relationship won't come until DURING the Giant War.**

 _ **Artemis seemed to give up Percy far too easily. Care to explain?**_ **Ahhhh. This has been asked so many times I can't even count. Listen, I made Artemis extremely insecure about having Percy. Evident in Chapter 2 and the flashback in Chapter 8. Zeus, whose tongue is as silver as Kronos', used that to his advantage and attacked her pride. Because of that Artemis was quick to give up her son because she wasn't thinking straight. Zeus' children are prideful, and in order to keep up her reputation, the moon goddess tossed her son like yesterday's trash. Cruel, I know, but completely fits her character. If that doesn't satisfy you then I will use the forever helpful excuse of Randomness. Think that's a novice move, Rick created something as random as the Mist to hide the fact the Greek Gods were still alive.**

 ** _Will Percy ever forgive Artemis or Poseidon? When will we they reunite?_ This story will have a happy ending, so yes, there will be loads of forgiveness. But it won't be immediate in any way. Artemis and Percy will meet during the Titan War, but there won't be a happy reunion. Just a lot of heartbreak. **

**Percy will not become God of War. You all were making very amazing points, the reason why I love you all. Also, Zoe being alive or dead is still up in the air. A lot of realistic and thought out replies for that one. Again, much love.**

 **ATTENTION! Don't forget super long and thorough Reviews. I write 8,000-word chapters, I expect lengthy reviews. Also, thanks for the 320+ favorites and 490+ follows. We getting up there guys. ATTENTION!**

 **REVIEW! REVIEW! REVIEW! REVIEW! REVIEW! REVIEW! REVIEW! REVIEW!**

 **Again thanks for even reading. Share to others, like it, add it to your library.**

 **You won't regret it.**


	12. Chapter 12

**Sacrifices**

The Island of Delos, where infidelity and lies stay. Home to many stories, the island has certainly seen its days of heartbreak and happiness. It's the birthplace of two Olympian gods and the safe haven for a wronged Titan. The island was the second important site for the Ancient Greeks, second only to Delphi.

It was a beautiful piece of land, the nature making the beauty literally breathtaking. Nymphs love to plant their trees there, flooding the island with large, full, and thick oaks, maples, and willow trees. A lake near one end of the island, the water blessed to be pure by the King of Atlantis himself. There is a brilliant mountain on the other end, with a cave carved out near the base, where the mistreated master of the island lays.

Of course, the dark history shrouding the island was because of none other than then the King of Olympus himself. Lusting after a woman that wasn't his wife, Zeus approached Leto in an attempt to seduce her. The Titanide was not as informed as the rest of the Greek world was of Zeus and his wife, though she denied any relations with the Sky God anyway, feeling it wasn't right. Zeus, however, was persistent and eventually got what he wanted.

When the Queen of the Gods learned of Leto's pregnancy, anger was more than what was felt by Hera. She dramatically banished Leto to the ends of the Earth, and when the Titanide turned to her lover he was nowhere to be found. Poseidon frowned upon the cowardice of his younger brother and decided to take responsibility for Zeus' adultery.

Taking pity on her, Poseidon brought some of his kingdom's builders and constructors to fashion a home out of the base of the mountain on Delos. As Leto lessened her grieving on Amphitrite's shoulders(at this time the sea goddess has yet to feel the pain of being cheated on), the Sea God provided the island as a refuge from Hera's wrath and a safe place to give birth in peace.

One day Leto laid under a palm tree to give birth, but couldn't as Hera forbade her daughter, who was a goddess of Birth, to aide her. The goddesses started to feel bad and convinced Hera to pity Leto. Hera agreed, but to only help one child. The goddess was there to help Leto give birth to Artemis, and quickly briefed the newborn godling on how to be a midwife. Though it took an entire day, Artemis was successful and helped her mother give birth to her younger brother, Apollo.

The twin gods stayed upon Delos for one decade, before their father finally decided to make an appearance. Though there were many protests, Zeus took them to Olympus where they received their domains. That marked the end of the mortal-known history of the ancient island, but not the godly-known history.

Once they received their domains both, Artemis and Apollo, flashed back home. There were no protests that time, only tears. Not from Leto though. The Titanide was extremely proud of her children and the domains they received. Even so, she wanted them to visit as much as possible, and both accepted the compromise immediately. Only one of them kept their promise.

Until today that is.

Near the lake side of the island, Silverlight submerged everything around it. Once the light dimmed, two dozen females came into view. The one in the front bore gleaming silver eyes and rich auburn hair. The air of superiority that normally radiated off of her was nowhere to be found, which would be normal. Not keeping promises to your mother, and not showing up for over two millennia would do that to anyone.

Zoe watched as Artemis took a deep breath, and allowed nostalgia to take over her mistress' mind. The day was out of sync with her mood, but the beauty of nature was slowly calibrating it. The trees surrounding her and her hunters towered above them but only making them feel more at home. The familiar whizzing churrs of crickets grasped a hold on the moon goddess' nerves, threatening to jumble them up or smoothing them out.

Zoe was in awe of the scenery around her, and of the tranquility of the forest in front of her. She turned around swiftly to view the basin behind her. It was dazzling, the lake wasn't connected to the ocean, yet there were waves dousing the grass alongside it. The color was a skyline-silver, akin to her mistress' eyes but the same as her brother's. There were deer and does drinking from the lake, and trout dive bombing into it.

She slowly returned her gaze to her mistress in took in the forest in front of her. It took a moment for the demititan to realize that this was where Artemis was raised, and she couldn't help but feel a little jealous. The Daughter of Atlas grew up on a mountain with the only thing holding beauty was the garden she was born to guard, whilst the Daughter of Zeus grew up with never-ending forests and deep blue lakes. Seems to Zoe that no matter how you are born, being the King's offspring meant a life of luxury.

She leaned on the balls of her feet, hearing the twigs crunching under her. There were all types of animals to hunt, but unlike normal creatures, they didn't run away. Hares were scampering around the trees, squirrels fighting over acorns. It was morning time, and the forest's smell was fresh and natural, more so than ever before. It wasn't hard for Zoe to notice just why Artemis loved doing what she did.

"Lady Artemis," Zoe turned to the owner of the voice: Floria. "If you don't mind me asking, where are we? I've been following you for a long time, and not once have we ever been to a place as amazing as this."

The Lieutenant of the Hunt focused her gaze on her superior. Artemis' shoulders were slightly slumped, head just barely dipped, and hand twitching. The maiden goddess was nervous and Zoe couldn't figure out why. Artemis took a deep breath to steady herself and said, "This… is Delos. This… this… this is my childhood home."

Gasps were heard throughout the clearing, and the demititan didn't need to look over at her sisters to shock was painted on their faces. The murmurs and whispers came just as quickly, but with a quick glare from Zoe, all was a silent as the forest around them.

"Milady," Zoe called out, her tone hidden with something angry, "Why did you bring us to the island of Delos?"

She watched as Artemis flinched at her tone, and a sliver of guilt wormed its way into Zoe's heart. Sure, Artemis was an Olympian goddess while also being a Daughter of Zeus, but she was more in tune with mortals than anyone else on Olympus. And when the goddess' best friend of over three thousand years can't even look at her without glaring, anyone would flinch as well.

In all honesty, the goddess hasn't been the same for over a year now. It's June now, and last month marked a full year without Percy. What's worse, no one has the slightest clue on where the Son of Artemis was. No tracks or anything. It was affecting everyone physically and emotionally, including the newer hunters. After Phoebe clearly showed she would no longer tolerate any smack talk about Percy, everyone eventually turned over a new leaf. At least, when the Daughter of Ares was around.

The stress was most evident on Artemis, though. Her eyes, for the first time in Greek history, had bags underneath them. Her hair and appearance looking as if a mortal mother's child was kidnapped. Zoe could recall when her mistress went a full month without showering. Some of the kinder hunters at the time had to coax the Olympian into cleaning herself and taking a minor break.

It didn't help, but it did lower the intensity Artemis had them running at. They expected to go at full speed all over again today, but instead, the goddess told them to circle up and here they are now. Artemis took another breath, with time a little shuddering, and started, "I have to meet someone. I thought it was about time that I take you all to go see my mother."

She didn't wait for anyone to speak and started to move forward. The hunters followed, too entranced by the forest to start gossiping to one another.

Their trot lasted the entirety of five minutes before singing was heard. It was angelic, melodious, and appealing. The words were in Ancient Greek, and as Zoe listened she was able to pick up on the lines of the song. The song that was being sung was so beautiful that the hunters found themselves being drawn to the voice as if it was hypnotizing them. Artemis' shoulders were slumping down more and more as she followed the voice, like a child expecting a horrible punishment.

Soon a woman came into view, with shimmering gold hair. Her body swayed with the song she was singing, as she was tending to flowers of a rather large garden. At the approach of the hunters though, came the abrupt end to her hymn. As the lady looked up, the hunters couldn't help the sound of surprise that came from their mouths, including Zoe. As the gardener in front of them had deep amber colored eyes and a face that was alike to Artemis.

"Hello, mother." Artemis was suddenly shy, childishly digging her feet into the ground. Suddenly her body was jerked backward, as slender arms were wrapped around Artemis' body.

"My little Aura," she whispered, combing her fingers through the Goddess of the Hunt's hair.

Phoebe nudged Zoe's side to get her attention, her eyes asking a silent question. When Zoe mouthed her answer, the Daughter of Ares' eyes widened in shock. This was Leto, Titan goddess of Modesty and Kindness. Also known as, the mother of the twin gods: Artemis and Apollo.

Leto held her daughter as close to her as possible as if it was all a dream and she was trying as hard as she could to make it into a reality. Artemis, though, was a wreck the moment she touched Leto, sobbing into her mother's chest(she was still shorter than her mom, even as a twenty-year-old adult.), making said mother pull back.

"My little Aura," she repeated, "Are you well? Why are you crying?"

"I have done wrong by you!" Artemis was all over the place, falling to her knees, tears falling all over the flowers below her like a storm. Some of the Hunt began to shift their bodies' nervously, not feeling comfortable about being around this intimate moment.

Leto looked her child with confusion, "Artemis, I'm afraid I don't understand." Her tone was soft and innocent like she wasn't used and taken advantage of in the past.

It only served to make her daughter cry harder, "I promised, Mother. I promised! I was supposed to visit you and not be sidetracked with my duties. I broke my promise… I'm sorry."

Never once has any hunter seen this side of their mistress. Even when a fellow hunter dies. Artemis was screaming hysterically before transitioning into sniffing softly. There were times where the Hunt has to pick one another up when feeling down, but no one was equipped to aid Artemis. Thankfully, Leto wasn't just any huntress.

The Titanide knelt down to be level with her daughter, and once again brought her into another tight hold. "Oh, Artemis. You must have been busy with your domains to think about me. Don't worry, I completely understand. Even so, I have missed you incredibly. It is such a blessing to have such caring children."

Artemis positioned herself in her mother's lap and looked at her hands, "What do you mean?"

"Apollo visits often, and when he does he complains about you a lot. He gets so worked up when he wasn't even the one stuck on Delos. And you, getting so worked up because you forgot to visit. You know I would never hold something so trivial to you. You're my baby girl, my only daughter, I love you too much to be angry with you."

Artemis eyes were wide but she nodded nonetheless. Always forgiving, never holding a grudge. Forgive and forget. Leto didn't even want an answer to the reason of her disappearance, just automatically knowing it wasn't her fault, even when it was. _Why couldn't I just follow her example?_

Leto didn't know why, but the sadness radiating from her daughter was strong. From kind to stern, the Titanide moved Artemis off of her lap to look at her, "Now you have to tell me what's the problem."

If possible, Artemis eyes grew even wider, "N-no mother. Nothing is the problem, just scared of seeing you again is all."

"Yes, I know. Yet, there is still something amiss. Call it mother's intuition." Leto stopped looking at Artemis for the audience around them. "How about you start with beautiful young ladies behind you."

Leto gave each and every hunter a once over, noticing Artemis' aura all over them, but also noticing the different facial features of every one of them. With a small glare, Leto turned back to her daughter, "Artemis, you haven't been sleeping around with random gods, have you? You are still the Goddess of the Chaste, correct?"

That woke the moon goddess up, and Artemis was on her feet in front of the Hunt as quick as her feet could move her. Her face was flushed red and her hunters' faces were look-alikes. "No, no, mother. As a deal, Father would let me have a group of followers if I agreed to be a maiden. Obviously, I agreed."

Leto's face was contorted for a moment before softening into a small smile and Artemis realized she just revealed the reason why she never visited. She started stuttering out random excuses, before her mother quieted her down, "Hush my little Aura. I told you are already forgiven, I'm just glad my daughter is here. Now come on, introduce me to all these lovely young ladies, and then we'll speak about whatever is bothering you later."

Artemis wanted to protest that she is fine but knew it was pointless. So instead, she looked over to Zoe with a pleading look. They had a small stare down, but before Leto could notice she took a step forward. Artemis took a deep breath and turned back to her mother.

"Mother, allow me to introduce Zoe, the Lieutenant of my Hunt…"

* * *

 _Out of all the places hidden in the Underworld, Elysium had to be Perseus' favorite._

 _As being the Ambassador of Hades, he is allowed to explore almost every inch of the Underworld, except for the Isles of the Blest. It didn't faze Perseus, as he enjoyed voyaging into the Elysian Fields all the same._

 _There wasn't any way that anybody could enter Elysium and hate being there. A place reserved for good mortals, heroes, and demigods who fought for Olympus and died a hero's death. Sometimes mortals or demigods can be chosen and marked by a god for Elysium, where they can live a blessed and happy afterlife. They could even take up any job they enjoyed in life, or just lay about in peace. If you made it, you could direct your life whichever way you chose._

 _Made by Chaos herself, the beauty of the Isles and Elysium make even the city of Olympus pale in comparison. Only the Lord and Lady of the Underworld may enter, and those that they chose. Hades, not being very fond of Zeus and his children, never let Athena see the grand city, annoying the goddess to no end._

 _It was a shame though, as it was one of the smallest realms in the Underworld. The size couldn't be any larger than Italy, while Asphodel was the size of Russia and Europe combined. Isles of the Blest were hidden on a small island in Elysium, and it wasn't all that occupied. Most heroes who try for the Blest, don't really make it. Their second life not fulfilling enough, they were unfortunately sent to Asphodel. Not every time period called for warriors, and sometimes an entire generation of mortals can only go to Asphodel._

 _With white stone marble lined with the purest of gold and silver, Perseus couldn't help but visit. It was a great valley, surrounded by walls taller than the ones that were built around Troy. There is no day or night cycle and no reason for sleep, so there is never a moment where laughter could not be heard. The smell of barbecue wafted far beyond the gated community into the Fields of Asphodel, enticing the mindless souls for an eternal tease._

 _What lied inside Elysium was even more enchanting. Large neighborhoods filled to the brim with beautiful houses, yet still being spacious enough for running around and playing. The houses varied from multiple time periods, from Roman villas, medieval castles, Victorian mansions, and even modern condos. The gardens could make Demeter weep, which they did when Persephone showed her everything, with glowing flowers, and sparkling lawns. The grass was the only thing that caught Perseus off guard, as the rippled in rainbow colors._

 _Of everything though, Perseus enjoyed the children. If under the age of twelve and are killed, Elysium is where they go no matter what. Perseus envied them slightly, as they were stuck as children and the Ambassador of Hades enjoyed his childhood greatly._

" _Bye Percy!" The children yelled out in unison. They ran out to the den mothers, respected women who were deemed Elysium or chosen by a god for Elysium._

 _Perseus waved as they all scampered off, their never-ending excitement rubbing off of him. Once they disappeared around the corner, he looked around, seeing where he could explore to next. It was only his third visit and he wanted it to be special. Three was the lucky number when it came to the Greeks._

 _He had already visited the dead hunters, which was an experience in itself. It was probably the first time he had been at the receiving of silver arrows._ _ **I guess introducing myself as Artemis' child wasn't exactly helpful.**_ _The ancient heroes, heroes of old, whatever you want to call them, was a definite no. Perseus has only known them for a week, and will only see them when he needs to see them._

 _It was a breath of fresh air for Perseus, there was even a forest. He couldn't help but think about how it was a such a wonderful resting place. And he couldn't help but think that he would've been here had his mother been successful in giving him up to Zeus. That he would've been here, and not able to leave. Dead, by his own mother's hand._

 _Perseus fell to his knees clutching his head, as it was throbbing uncontrollably. It didn't last long, only for a few moments. When the pain died down, he felt someone pulling him up by his arm. His vision was still a little blurry as he felt himself be seated onto something, most likely a bench as it was littered everywhere across Elysium._

 _When his vision cleared he was met with the sight of a concerned lady. She was quite beautiful, with deep, wavy ginger-brown hair. Her eyes were… well, eye-catching, with luminous sapphire orbs. Her beauty was astounding, and she couldn't be any older than twenty._

" _Are you alright? I saw you fall and helped you up to the bench. You couldn't be sick, this is Elysium." Her voice was kind and soft, and Perseus didn't know why, but her voice captivated his entire attention. He knew she had to have died recently, as morbid as that sounds, but no one from the Victorian era spoke her dialect._

 _Perseus shook his head, "No, no, I'm fine. Don't worry about it, it happens more times than I can count."_

 _The woman nodded but still had a frown on her face. He didn't like that, for whatever reason making him feel like he did something horrible. Perseus just didn't like that look on her face. She sat down next him and gave him a once-over with her eyes, "Really? Why?"_

" _I don't really know."_

" _Alright, then. Well, I've never seen you around here before. Did you just… pass away or…"_

 _Perseus wanted to laugh at how hesitant she was but felt it would be rude. "I'm actually still alive. I'm the Ambassador of Hades, the house not the god."_

 _She shook his hand that he held out, not hiding her surprised look. "Oh, well that's nice."_

" _Yeah, it's an experience. Right now it isn't actually all that nice. But, how about you? What was your life before you ended up here if you don't mind me asking of course."_

 _He thought she didn't. That was the thing with these dead heroes and demigods. Even the mortals, they all just seem to accept the fact that they died and have no trouble talking about their past life. As quick he said it though, the woman in front of him began looking down and playing with his fingers, making Perseus add in the last part._

" _It's fine, it's as if I'm going to cause any problems by telling my past life. For the majority of life, there isn't anything worth telling. I didn't have a lot family, I grew up with my uncle for most of my teenage years. Even then, I had to take care of him."_

 _Perseus raised an eyebrow in confusion, "I don't mean to be rude, but how did that get you into Elysium? Did you help your uncle out of a funk or something?"_

" _No, he died during my senior year in high school. It was the summer after when the highlights of my short life came. I… I met someone."_

" _And was this a good someone?"_

" _What do you mean?"_

" _Well," Perseus bit his lip as he thought, "Did, whoever you met, lead to you arriving in Elysium early?"_

" _...Yes. Wait, No! Actually, indirectly he is responsible for my death. But I know it wasn't intentional. Just the hand of the Fates, nothing anyone can do about it."_

 _The Ambassador of Hades noticed her word choice: Fate. When he thought about it, she never questioned his position, and plenty of the residents of Elysium were surprised of him talking of the gods. "Just who exactly did you meet?"_

 _She opened her mouth but no words came out. She rushed out her words when she tried again, "Look, you may not believe me. But, the someone was Poseidon, as in–"_

" _God of the Seas," Perseus breathed out, also feeling his heartbeat at a million times per minute at the prospect of who he could be talking to. "Sally? Sally Jackson?"_

 _Sally had a sharp intake a breath before nodding her head. She narrowed her eyes suspiciously however and said, "Yes, that's my name. How do you know?"_

" _Because my name is Perseus. As in Perseus Jackson."_

 _Sally physically stopped. Her eyes were comically wide, with an open mouth covered by her hand. Her sapphire eyes began to water as she began to eye him. Perseus didn't know what to do, he never actually expected to meet this woman, only knowing her name from his mother._

 _Sally did, however, and rushed forward to bring him in for a hug. He returned in full, and just held the woman close to him as she dug her head into his chest. He knew what he should then without words being said. After a while, her shoulders began to shake and Perseus' eyes widened in alarm._

" _Sally? Are you alright?"_

 _She didn't respond and just kept him close. When he repeated the question again, she jumped out of his hands as if he was on fire. "I'm sorry. It's just that… I mean, when I came to Elysium, I thought… I just never expected that…"_

 _Something broke inside Perseus at her attempts to speak. All the setbacks and heartbreaks in her life, and for him to show up when he, quite literally, shouldn't have… It was surreal. Then again, he didn't want her to feel like this._

" _I feel the same way. I always have known about you but I never thought I would meet you. I mean… you're my birth mother, my actual true mother and–"_

" _Wait, wait, wait." Sally stopped the waterworks momentarily and grabbed his hands. She looked him dead in the eyes and whispered, "I'm not your mother Perc‐ Perseus. I left you with Artemis, she's your mother."_

 _Perseus felt his world crumble, and suddenly the laughter stopped. The land around him lost his shine, and he could only hear footsteps. The silence was deafening, crowding his thoughts and overtaking his emotions. He started breathing heavily before returning his focus to Sally. He sat there for about thirty seconds until he found himself in Elysium again._

 _The Ambassador of Hades licked his lips, "What are you talking about? Of course, you're my mother. You gave birth to me, not her."_

" _And that's it Perseus, I am- breathe Perseus," Sally shuffled closer to him and began to pat the back of the hyperventilating demigod beside her. "Now you listen to me. I am the woman who gave birth to you, and that is as far as I go."_

" _How can you just say that?" he tried to pull his hands away but she somehow kept a grip on him, "Doesn't it hurt at all?"_

" _More than you could ever imagine."_

" _Then why would you–"_

" _Because that's the way it is supposed to be!" Her outburst scared Perseus right down to his core. She shoved his hands away but kept her angry gaze directed at him, he began to watch her with the fear of a four-year-old watching his first horror movie. "That is the way everything was supposed to happen. I wasn't supposed to keep you. I didn't deserve you! Not after all my life mistakes, but I'm fine with it. Do you want to know why?"_

 _He nodded numbly, "Because I got to partake in the birth of a beautiful baby boy and leave him in the hands of a better-equipped woman. I was the one who protected you in my womb to later give birth to you, but Artemis was the one to live through the experiences. She had the pleasure to watch you grow and grant me Elysium when I only deserved Asphodel. Speaking of, why are you down here?"_

" _I uh…"_

" _Speak up, Perseus!"_

 _With a defeated sigh at the hands of a woman tried and scorned, he began to tell his story. Everything and it took so long that the kids came back to play again, but he had to send them off to continue speaking with Sally. She instantly became his newest favorite female, to accept such a harsh face with an upturned head, he couldn't help but admire her strength._

" _...so you see, that's why I'm here now."_

 _Sally pushed a strain of her hair behind her ear and looked up in thought. "Zeus was paranoid, so he sought you out because you were an anomaly in the Greek world. Artemis with a son? Forget about it. Doesn't surprise me at all. I'm glad Lady Hestia brought you to Hades though, Artemis is wrong for what she did, even if her reputation and pride were challenged."_

 _Perseus nodded in agreement but kept his mouth shut and his mind blank, fearing another migraine. "Yup, that's my life."_

 _He ran a hand through his hair and let out an exaggerated breath, before noticing Sally looking at him weirdly. "What?"_

" _Say 'Yes', not 'What'. It's more respectful," she scolded._

" _I'm sorry. Umm… yes?"_

" _Nothing, it's just that you look so much like Poseidon. You have his hair, and his eyes to some extent." She noticed his sour look and gasped, "Don't tell me you have a grudge against him as well."_

" _Well, if it wasn't for him I wouldn't be in this mess."_

" _Okay, now you need to listen because this is a conversation we are not having. No matter how you feel, you are the Son of the Sea God. Your inheritance is worth as much as two-thirds of the entire planet. You disown your father, and you die. Simple as that. Capeesh."_

 _Perseus looked down at his lap, being verbally beat down without even giving a chance to fight back. "Fine, I understand." Didn't mean he would accept the god so easily._

" _That's all I ask. Now, you can stay here for as long as you please. Right?"_

" _Yeah," Perseus answered, noticing her smile._ _ **Looks like I finally know where I got my mischievousness from.**_

" _Great," she stood up and began pulling him through the glades of Elysium. "There's someone I want you to meet."_

" _Another someone, Sally?"_

" _Oh, be quiet, Perseus_ –"

 _"Call me Percy."_

 _She stopped and looked at him, deep into his eyes. Sally couldn't help the bright smile that bloomed on her face. "Alright, Percy. This man was one who was actually there on the day I gave you to Artemis. Funny thing is he's actually a school teacher and was only being a taxi driver for the summer."_

 _"Really. Not to be rude, but that doesn't sound very special. Actually a little bit sad."_

 _"Yes but, he's actually quite charming."_

* * *

Percy was broken out of his memories as he felt movement next to him. He turned his gaze from the campfire to see Hylla leave her tent, with a backpack filled with supplies.

She hadn't noticed him but Percy wasn't in the mood to play games. He called out, "Going somewhere?"

He expected a snarky response, as that's all he's been able to get out of her. She was so headstrong and stubborn, that she forced herself to take the lead, leading the trio away from Camp Jupiter. After seeing a sign that basically told them they were going the wrong way, it was too late. The sun was beginning to set and they needed to camp.

Reyna was another story altogether. She was quiet but Percy knew she was observant. Always speaking when she needed to, the Roman demigod watched his every movement, making sure no funny business was going on.

Instead, Hylla seemed to be acting differently. She was suddenly shy when she was bold. Her grip tightened on her backpack, and she began shuffling her feet. "I need to go, Perseus."

He raised an eyebrow at her soft tone, "I know that. We can all go tomorrow. Tonight, you should rest."

"No, that's not what I mean," she shook her head softly. "I took lead because I'm not supposed to go to this camp. I'm sure Circe told you I was better acquainted with the mythological world than my sister."

Percy thought about it for a moment and responded with, "Yeah, she mentioned something like that. But where are you going, and what about your sister?"

She was silent, letting the crackle of the campfire sound throughout the forest. Crickets could be heard from the shadows of the trees, their chirping sounds like a heartbeat. After awhile Hylla spoke up, "I'm going to join up with the Amazons, the female warrior race. They are here, and I was trying to find them."

Percy digested her words and looked at the tent she exited, thinking of the snoozing girl still inside, "Okay, say you do find them. What about your sister? Does she know that you're leaving?"

"I-it doesn't matter! It's my destiny, the way my life is supposed to go. Reyna should go to Camp Jupiter, that's where she belongs. I love her, from the bottom of my heart, but this has to happen. You wouldn't understand."

"I wouldn't understand?! How do you even know that this is your _destiny?_ What makes you think I would abandon my own family for destiny?"

"Shut up!" Hylla yelled, before panicking and looking at her tent. She continued in a softer, but very much harsher tone, "As far as I can see, you have no family Perseus. I'm a woman, capable of my own decisions, so you'll just have to live with it."

Percy stood up quickly, ready to retaliate, but found a gold sword on his throat. "Hylla?"

"Let me reintroduce myself. My name is Hylla Ramírez-Arellano, Daughter of the Roman Goddess of War, Destruction, and Devastation: Bellona. My goal is to become an Amazon and become their Queen. As for my sister, we daughters of Bellona tend to be strong, brave, and independent young women. But she will not gain these traits with me, so you will travel with her to the Roman camp."

"She'll hate you, resent you for leaving her like this. At least, leave a note, tell me something to pass along to her, something."

"Coward," she hissed, pressing the blade harder against his throat, "Suddenly agreeing with me just because I hold your life in your hands."

"I'm only–" Perseus eyes went wide and his hands rushed to his throat.

Hylla sheathed her blade, and stared at the fire with an angry gaze, hiding the sadness. "Shut. Up. You want to help me Perseus? Do you really want to help me? Be what I can't, be an older sibling figure to Reyna. She still needs the relationship, but it will be better if it's with you. Got it?"

She turned around and began walking, while Percy tried to grasp the situation. _This all feels like deja vu._ "Wait! I still need to figure out something."

The Daughter of Bellona stopped just moments before being cloaked by the shadows of the forest. She turned around slowly, and Percy found himself slightly intimidated. When she finally made the one-eighty degree turn, her eyes spoke multitudes. Needless to say, Percy got the unspoken message.

"How can you just accept all of this so quickly? Don't get me wrong, I'll help Reyna. My excitement about seeing the camp is more than enough motivation to guide her. Yet, this all seems a little too fast. Isn't this hard for you, even a little?"

She was silent like she was becoming one with the environment surrounding her, and Percy was slightly afraid of her attacking him. But with a single deep breath, he watched as all her walls crumble down. He saw the anxiety. He saw the exhaustion. He saw the guilt. Most of all, he saw just how much leaving Reyna was killing Hylla emotionlessly.

"Everything I do," she started voice lower than a whisper, "everything I do is for my sister. We were born in Puerto Rico, and it's extremely violent there. My mother came to me in a dream, and she led us to Circe. I took Reyna with me so I always know she was safe. So know that even though I yell at you, and glare, and sneer, you're more important to me than you know. Because I'm leaving my little queen with you."

The pain was so utterly visible in her voice, that deja vu couldn't help but make its way to his mind. "I still don't understand. Why leave her with me?"

"Because in every life there are sacrifices, Perseus. I was the one to protect her this far… and now I'm leaving it up to you to grow with her. I love her more than anything in the world, Perseus, so please take care of her."

He watched as she disappeared into the forest, leaving him with the dormant sister. Percy studied the fire, recollecting his thoughts before they were interrupted again. The sound of leathery flapping invaded his senses, and Percy groaned the minute he heard them.

"Lord Perseus," Alecto hissed in a croaky voice, "Might I ask your purpose for being here, when you should be following the quest in the Sea of Monsters."

He rolled his eyes and looked over to the fury perched on a tree. It was probably a funny picture, a thirteen-year-old boy staring at a campfire, with a tent next to him, and a bat-looking human looking down at him. The thought made Percy laugh, "I found a lost Roman demigod, decided that I will help her to Camp Jupiter."

"You know of the Roman camp?"

"Growing up with millennia-old preteens means you get to know a little more than the average demigod, Alecto. Now, why are you here?"

"Hades demands your presence, you were not supposed to deviate from the quest."

Percy felt like he was slapped in the face, _He would find out this quickly._ He could already feel the ferocity of his training heightened. "Oh gods, I'm in trouble. Alright, well Alecto, watch this demigod for me."

"I am no guardian, Perseus. I will call Lupa and she will take in the demigod."

"...Lupa?"

"The Roman Maiden Goddess of Wolves, Guardian of Rome, Trainer of Roman Demigods."

"What's her Greek form?"

"There is no Greek form."

"Aha, you were just trying to scare me." Percy waved his hand in triumph, "All gods have a Greek and Roman form."

"Do the the Ancient Rivers have a Roman form? No, they do not." She was getting aggravated if the showing of her claws meant anything. It wasn't Percy's fault, he still had ADHD. "Do you understand now?"

"Yes… so basically a female Chiron. But instead of a centaur, a wolf."

"Enough!" She screeched, flying down from her tree. The wind conjured up from her wings blew out the campfire and she landed on top of the burning coals. "You will go the Underworld now Perseus!"

Percy was quiet, staring into her black eyes and weighing his options. "Fine, but even if I leave, I am still your ambassador. Watch the demigod, Alecto."

He left no room for argument, as his voice held tremendous authority. He ran into the forest, jumped into a shadow, and willed himself to enter Hades' throne room.

* * *

 **A/N: Chapter 12, hope you all enjoy. Everything isn't going my way as of late. This chapter was due on Monday, but my family decided to get involved in my life all of sudden. I mean after years of them not caring what I did, why would they bother me now? That's a question that'll never be answered. The plan was two chapters this week because I have a school break, but it probably won't happen now. I have homework, which annoyingly requires my full attention, and then there's now the unpredictable variable of my family. Honestly, I'm ready to graduate high school and leave.  
**

 **There were problems with the last chapter, and I know some of you all might be surprised to see two chapters. I did update a week or so ago, Fanfiction is weird. What are ya gonna do about it? *shrugs*** **This chapter was about sacrifices, and hopefully, it's acceptable for all you readers. I like it for the most part, but there will be one more chapter before entering the Titan's Curse Arc. Two, if you want a Reyna and Percy introduction into New Rome. Hylla was super deep, and Percy is getting lessons from everybody lately.**

 **The last chapter, I answered the common questions surrounding this story. Piper is coming during the Titan War, but won't be heavily involved until the Giant War. I'm still having fun with writing. I've come in contact with some really great writers and supporters and so on. If you like Wattpad my story is up there. Frankly, it's kinda more professional there than here, but that's only because Fanfiction still has many, MANY, wrinkles to iron out of their shirts.**

 **Now let's get something clear, you wanna slack on reviews. I'm gonna slack on my updates. School is super important, for me especially, and I won't hesitate to forsake you all. I write long and meaningful chapters! You write long and meaningful reviews! CAPEESH!**

 **We have 525 follows and 355 favorites! We cracked 50,000 views and I couldn't be more excited. Don't forget to follow and favorite the story if you have not, it's helpful to keep track of it. I never imagined even hitting 50 favorites, so over 500! I'm gonna cry. We're slowly creeping up on the 1,000 mark, and making it into the top percentage of PJO writers. But don't forget to FREAKING REVIEW! Just so you remember:**

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 **You won't regret it.**


	13. Chapter 13

**Fatigue**

" **...** no more dessert. We'll see, that's why Persephone likes me more than her own husband," Percy muttered. He wallowed in his self-pity before realizing what he said, "Wait, that isn't exactly a good thing. She likes me the same way she likes her husband."

After a short arguing match, which Percy was losing from the beginning, it had been decided that his deviation from the quest was only a minor fault. Well, that was Persephone's decision. Hades, however, was seething in his seat. Being used to having his orders carried out without fail, the elder god flashed over to the Fields of Punishment to let out his anger.

That led to an extremely awkward conversation with the Goddess of Springs. With seemingly no intention of keeping up her loyalties to Hades, the entire exchange was just like the one with Hecate. Thank gods for the timing, the Furies came rushing in at Hades' disturbance, ushering Percy out of the Underworld.

All in all, it led to the demigod to be stuck on yet another rowboat, albeit significantly more moody, in the deadly Sea of Monsters. Percy didn't even question the lines on the sea, just rowing his boat where the numbers glowed. The environment couldn't even change either, only getting worse. Instead of the odd color of the water, there were white puffs floating in it, almost looking like…

"Wool! You've got to be kidding me… Nope, it's real. Definitely a sheep's wool. Where am I going anyway?"

It didn't take long before he was answered. Just like before, another island came into view. It wasn't ugly in any way, in fact, it was quite the opposite. With crispy green fields, sandy white beaches, and an abundance of tropical fruit trees, the area would be a better place of a resort than Circe's island.

Percy had no doubt this was where he was supposed to go when a pirate ship was docked in the sand. Queen Anne's Revenge glistened in the sun as if it was beckoning the approaching demigod.

After a few more minutes Percy had safely arrived to the island. He looked around and couldn't help but appreciate the sheer beauty of his surroundings. Let it be known, as dangerous as all monsters were, the land they stoked fear on was anything but.

He walked a little forward and leaned on a nearby palm tree, "Now why exactly would the Furies drop me off here? Seems pretty peaceful too―"

In one of his constant and consistent moments of speaking too soon, the island began to tremble. Wild sheep began to bray and run around frantically. Fruit fell from the tropical trees above and a few of them bonked Percy on the head.

If he listened well enough, which for him wasn't hard at all, he could hear a rather loud voice roar, "COME BACK, NOBODY! I AM NOT DONE WITH YOU!"

 _Nobody? Why is he saying it like it's an actual person?_ Percy decided to investigate, mostly because the fruit that was falling seemed to specifically target him. He jogged closer to the mountain of the island. _Hmm, never noticed that before._ Thirty yards from the base, a crevice was cut into the mountain, making a makeshift cave.

He made the observation that it was probably in his best interest to get inside that cave, but as the demigod tried to climb the island's cliff, the loud voice began yelling again. "...YOU'RE—NO—LADY—CYCLOPS!"

The island began to tremble again, which unfortunately made the experienced climber lose his grip. Ten seconds and two bloody hands later, Percy looked back up to the cave in confusion. "What the Hades is up there?" He put his hands to scratch his hair before pulling away abruptly, " _Dekára!"_

The rumbling continued as Percy began to heal himself with Nectar and Ambrosia. Once everything was ship-shape, he searched around the plains, looking for any other way to reach the cave above. Soon, after fifteen minutes of uncomfortable searching, he found what he was looking for.

"Well, would you look at that: a bridge. To think I was trying to…" Percy narrowed his eyes as four little dots and a large one moved speedily towards him, "...climb a cliff."

He couldn't make out the four small people, but he didn't need to. No, the enormous figure stalking them answered all of his questions. There ran Polyphemus, dressed in a disgusting baby-blue tuxedo, chasing four humans across the island.

One of the said people most likely figured out who he was because they started to run with renewed vigor. "Percy!" a familiar voice bleated.

One eyebrow gradually made its way up to the middle of Percy's forehead. He could recognize that voice anywhere. With a voice hinted with suspicion he called out, "Grover?"

Sure enough, the scruffy, goat-legged, Satyr came into view, running incomparably faster than the trio around him, and tackled Percy to the floor. The demigod learned early to get used to this behavior, as because of his mother, all Satyrs and nymphs were inevitably attracted to him. All Satyrs wanted to be blood brothers while nymphs wanted to be his children's mothers.

But it all happened without them really knowing why. Once he gained the knowledge of his true lineage, Grover took it upon himself to be his personal bodyguard. As if he didn't have enough already.

"Alright, Grover. Yes, I missed you too. Okay, jeez, Grover! That's enough!" The newly-licensed searcher jumped off quickly, much to Percy's relief. He almost died of suffocation.

"Sorry, Perce. Guess I got a little ahead of myself," Grover said whilst scratching his head bashfully.

Percy was on his knees trying to catch his breath, but when he saw Grover's outfit he promptly lost it again. "Are you wearing a dress?"

The Satyr flinched at his incredulous tone, "It's a really long story."

"One where you marry a freaking cyclops! Polyphemus at that!"

"You gotta do whatever it takes to get what you want."

"I think most people would draw a line when it comes to joining a large, one-eyed monster in unholy matrimony!"

Grover tried to defend himself but was cut off with shouts from behind the duo, "Come on Thalia! Let's go!"

Percy looked behind Grover, who had begun to rid himself of the wedding garments to assess the situation. He recognized the trio from yesterday, and also why one of them wasn't crossing the bridge.

The bridge was high up on two cliffs, and under it was a large chasm. Given the Daughter of Zeus' unhealthy fear of heights, the problem being faced today would undoubtedly steal someone's life without intervention.

So without any instruction, he left his hairy companion and sprinted off towards the questers. Clarisse was on the side closest to him while Annabeth (who had the Golden Fleece) was gradually crossing the bridge, desperate to get to her sister figure. Through it all, Polyphemus was gaining on Thalia, hoping to at least get one if he can't have all.

Percy wasn't going to have any of it. As he got closer to the bridge, Clarisse decided to join Annabeth on crossing the bridge again. Just as she was going to take her first step, two hands were on the side of her stomach and she was sent backward. Annabeth heard the quick movement behind her and turned around, only to see the familiar sky blue eyes she only saw last summer.

Percy took a quarter of a second to steady himself before leaping over the Daughter of Athena. Willing his bow into existence, Percy notched an arrow and released. The arrow flew true and hit its mark, otherwise known as Polyphemus' eye. The roar of pain from the monster was almost deafening.

The tri-blood landed on the side with the Cyclops and already had another arrow at the ready. "Give up Polyphemus," Percy called out, "You've made your point. We have the fleece, just go back to your cave."

"But Nobody must die. And the Satyr was supposed to be my wedding meal." Polyphemus whimpered while scrambling back, holding his injured eye.

"It was all a trick. Nobody is long dead, and the Satyr will no longer bother you again."

"What? It was a trick?" Percy didn't like his tone of voice. It wasn't dejected or sorrowful, but furious. Furious beyond mortal belief. "NOBODY!"

His eyes' widened as Polyphemus' free hand was raised in the air and brutally brought down to shake the earth. And if the island experiencing a 10.5 magnitude earthquake wasn't enough, the Cyclops began to raise his hand again. He consistently beat the island with his hand, splitting the beautiful island again.

Percy's bow is raised again after managing to steady himself, and he contemplated letting another arrow loose. On one hand, it would stop Polyphemus from shaking the island, but on the other hand, the bridge was already splitting apart at the seams.

The Son of Artemis turned his head to look back at the demigods. Annabeth had retreated to safety with Grover and Clarisse, but Thalia was hanging onto the pole supporting the bridge like her life depended on it. Which it did.

Percy let his weapon fade out of existence as he turned to his young Aunt. "Priorities First," he chanted before speeding off towards her.

No one cared enough to ask Thalia how her day was going, but mostly because no one needed to. It was more than discernible to know that the Daughter of Zeus was having the worst day of her short and dangerous life. But the thought would've been amazing. Really.

She made have been able to face her fears and jump from six hundred and thirty feet into the Mississippi River, but that was by chance. Specifically, she had a chance of living. That prospect was nowhere to be found here. Even though there was a bridge in this situation, the likelihood that she would peer over the side, and fall, was astronomically high. Sure she took risks every now and then but Acrophobia wasn't named for nothing.

It didn't help that the ground started trembling as if it hadn't eaten for centuries. She was patiently and gratefully waiting for Annabeth to come over and help her along but no. The stupid Cyclops who had the stupid fleece just had to shake the stupid island. It was just so… stupid.

Now as she held on for dear life, she began to think about her life and all the good and bad that came with it. On the mortal side she was fine, minus her mother. Annabeth and Percy and whoever decided to treat her normally was always a reason to get out of bed in the morning. It was the divine side that took hold on her mind.

She had only truly met four gods in her lifetime. The Big Three, and her father's wife. Poseidon was an amusing surprise, Hera was a total witch, and Hades was… well, Hades. Thalia couldn't expect too much from him. Surprisingly, it was her father that took home the gold for her.

Percy wasted no time and picked up Thalia in bridal style and took off down the bridge. Once he got to Grover's end, he heard the gasps of Clarisse and Annabeth. Not wasting any time, he thrust Thalia into the Daughter of Ares' arms.

He uncapped his trusty sword, Riptide, and swiped at the ropes. It took a couple tries, but eventually, the ropes snapped and the bridge fell. It was then that Polyphemus stopped his childish tantrum.

With a satisfied sigh, Percy capped his sword and placed the pen back in his pocket. He turned around with a triumphant smile before being yanked up by his shirt and being held in midair

"Wha–" Percy tried, before being yelled at.

"Shut it Prissy! You've got some explaining to do, so start talking. Now!"

Percy was silent in awe at how ferocious the girl was. _She's almost exactly like her father._ "Well, what do you want to know?"

"Don't play dumb, Prissy. Why are you here, in the Sea of Monsters, when you should. Be. At. Camp." Clarisse shook the demigod in her hands with every punctuation.

He struggled to find an answer, partly because he couldn't think after his ragdoll like treatment, and partly because the fact he hadn't slept in over thirty-six hours was starting to catch up to him. "I uh… What happened was…"

She shook him some more, "Answer the question!"

As he was tossed around in the air again, akin to his position with Ares a year ago, he caught glimpse of Annabeth trying to snap Thalia out of whatever trance she was in. Percy began to slightly remember the details about this quest. "Why are Annabeth and Thalia here… when they should… be at camp." His voice slurred.

He never got an answer as blonde curls flooded his vision. "Clarisse stop shaking him. He's going to lose his balance mentally, which will make it harder for us to get off this island."

Percy sleepy smile at the familiar voice, "Hi, Annaaaabeth."

The Daughter of Athena frowned in response and got close to inspect him, trying her hardest to keep her cheeks from getting red. Keeping her mind focused solely on the task she announced, "Nevermind, it didn't matter. He seems to be fine, tired if anything."

"Uh, guys?" Grover tried.

"So what does that mean, Annie?" Clarisse sneered.

"It means," Annabeth started, with a condescending tone, "that he will have to be helped down the hills to our boat."

"Umm, this is serious," Grover whimpered.

"And then I'm just the lucky gal to help him, right?"

Grey eyes rolled in annoyance, "Obviously. Out of all us, you would be the… best equipped."

"Annabeth, come on. Clarisse?"

"What are you trying to say, Chase?" As if preparing for a fight, the Daughter of Ares pulled out her famous spear.

Annabeth wasn't even fazed, and somehow pulled off _looking_ _up_ at her with a disappointed look. "Don't be so insensible. You apprehended exactly what my intentions were."

"Hey!" Both girls turned to Thalia, who finally realized she was on safe ground. "We have a problem, like a man-eating sheep problem!"

This time Annabeth acted with purpose instead of indifference and was at Thalia's side in an instant. She also took the chance to look at the startled and recently aggravated sheep who were indeed making their way over to them. "What? Grover why didn't you say anything!"

"I did, but you two are always arguing!"

"Hate to break it to you all," Clarisse interjected, her spear cackling with electricity, "but there's no way we can get passed all them. Unless we all accepted death."

Thalia didn't like the sound of that at all, "No, no. I can handle it. Just everyone, move back." Everyone did, with a little hesitation from Annabeth and disgruntled moaning from Percy, and moved towards their cliffside.

Storm clouds began to take form in the skies above them, like ink on a clean paper. Their dark menacing clouds were billowing from the southeast, draining the color of the sands, grass, and mountain alike. Like the beginning of an impending laugh, lightning began to crackle, tickling the mountaintops above.

The air began to hold weight as if gravity was suddenly stronger. Humidity became a natural enemy to the audience of demigods, as it emerged in an attempt to suffocate anyone it could get its hands on. A few raindrops began to pour on top of the demigods' heads, and then Thalia's eyes began to glow a royal blue.

The Heiress of the Sky raised both her hands and for a moment everything stopped. Annabeth moved her wet hair from her face to look around and noticed the raindrops were literally suspended in midair. The wind that was howling its ferocious profanities began to quiet in response to its mistress commands.

It was a beautiful, a restless tranquility.

Then a flash of scorching gold split the sky, and Thalia's inhumane roar boomed louder than any of the bolts she summoned.

It was utter pandemonium, and the demigods weren't prideful enough to hide their juvenile screams of fear. Even Percy, who was suffering from Sleep Deprivation, called upon another source of energy to put his butt in gear. And no matter how well-groomed each and every one of them was for battle, they were still young children.

That being said, just like any child who would stare a thunderstorm in the face, they all began to run straight for Queen Anne's Revenge with reckless abandon.

In an effort to keep them all safe, Percy decided to take a risk and run straight for Thalia. Annabeth, who was more worried for Thalia then herself, saw him and tried to yell "NO!", but it unquestionably fell on deaf ears. Clarisse, however, decided to take initiative and took a dive at Percy to stop him.

She missed and ended up doing what Percy wanted anyway. Everyone and everything stopped, and Thalia's eyes proceeded to dim. No one wanted to move but Clarisse had other ideas as she began to laugh dryly while hoisting the Daughter of Zeus upon her shoulder.

She made her move too quickly.

A bolt of lighting sprouted from the clouds and struck inches away from Clarisse, but it was enough to send the message.

"Run, Clarisse! Run!" Annabeth screeched.

She didn't need to be told twice as she shot towards the beaches. Like a lightning rod, Thalia seemed to subconsciously attract bolts towards her being. Once Clarisse arrived to the shores of the island, she didn't know what to do. It was pretty comical, seeing the Bully of Camp Half-Blood run around in circles to avoid being hit by lightning.

Annabeth, Grover, and Percy caught up to the two and began to scramble for ideas. "Annabeth, you're the smart one. Any theories you want to bring up?"

"I'm thinking. I'm thinking." Annabeth was frantic, she never did have experience with demigods and their elemental powers. What little she did know about was just Apollo's kids healing or Demeter's kids' gardens.

"The sea," Percy whispered. Thinking about it, it did make sense. The water, Poseidon's domain, should block off any bolts that try to enter. Or it could totally backfire and they turn into fried demigods.

 _It's a good fifty-fifty… Right?_

"The water! Clarisse, go to the water!"

The desperate demigoddess paused to hesitate, but then the clouds began to rumble louder than ever before. It was as if they took a mind of their own and knew what Percy was planning, which was a good sign.

Clarisse was actually pretty far from the shores and gave everything she had into reaching the waters. She was doing well but then started to slow when she was waist deep. All the while the storm started to get louder, preparing its final devastating blow.

"Throw her, Clarisse! You're going to get hit!"

"NO!" Annabeth actually had tears building up, not liking the idea of a Daughter of Zeus in the Sea God's domain at all. It was too late because Clarisse launched Thalia like a football into the Sea of Monsters, the most dangerous body of water on the planet.

The bolt came down with a luminous streak tried to reach Thalia before she was engulfed in the water, but it was too slow. It ricocheted back into the storm clouds and caused it to dissipate in a display of fireworks.

Not that anyone noticed, as everyone focused on Clarisse who went underwater to retrieve the fallen demigod. It was a tense twenty seconds, but when all hope was lost she emerged with the raven-haired demigod in tow.

Annabeth made a delightful shriek and raced towards the sopping wet demigoddesses to retrieve her sister figure. Grover jumped up and let out a whoop, before turning around to see Polyphemus' smoking figure laid on the grass. The Satyr knew he was alive still, as the groans and moans were easily heard.

Grover looked over at Percy with a happy smile before losing it for enlarged eyes, "Percy? Where the heck did you get that from?"

Percy readjusted the fried sheep to fit comfortably on his shoulders as his face went crimson.

"Well it was just lying there, and I couldn't help myself. Y'know… Oh, why does it matter?"

* * *

 _Swords clashed as both opponents didn't hold anything back. Well, that's what the smaller swordsman thought._

 _Perseus was giving his all, fighting like his life depended on it. His opponent had the advantage of strength, but Perseus knew he kept the battle alive because he was faster. It was a small favor for the demigod, considering his sparring partner was Achilles._

 _They were in the newly built arena of the Underworld. It was said that Hades employed a small number of dead architects and gave them the space needed. Resources wasn't a problem, with a wave of his hand there were different stones, metals, and jewels at the disposal._

 _Then Hades approached the heroes of Ancient Greece, as the enemy of the gods derived from the time period of the Titans. They were eager to accept, the chance to pass on their skills and their stories from their own perspective. Achilles, Theseus, the original Perseus, Odysseus, Jason, Hippolyta, and Atalanta._

 _Obviously, young Perseus gravitated towards training with Hippolyta and Atalanta and was easily received by both female women. The men were thoroughly confused and the women questioned his motives, until learning that he was raised by the Goddess of the Hunt._

 _Hades allowed for Perseus to choose his teachers because he thought he would keep up the variety. Yet after a month and still being trained by Hippolyta and Atalanta, Hades realized that the demigod wouldn't be reasonable. So he wrote up a schedule and Percy had to deal with the male heroes._

 _So they had an arena, that while newly built looked like it could use a little refurbishing and trainers. Seven days meant a trainer a day, and Monday meant the famous hero of the Trojan War._

 _Achilles was everything he was made out to be and more. With a height that absolutely towers Perseus' small form, he was pure muscle that packed a dangerous punch. But he was also known for his prowess with the sword._

 _Perseus surged forward and rolled around to the back of Achilles, but tried land a blow behind the knee. However, the heavy swordsman expected this and expertly parried the attack. Faster than he should move, Achilles turned around and slashed his sword with a downward swipe. Perseus was clearly able to dodge it, and did so without trouble, but wasn't prepared for what came next._

 _Once again, betraying the image of how quick he should really be, Achilles lunged forward, crouched low, and thrust his fist into the boy's stomach._

 _The reaction was immediate, as Perseus dropped his sword, opened his mouth in a silent scream, and promptly fell backward. His hands wrapped around his torso as he groaned on the dusty ground under them._

 _More groans could be heard from the stands, as the six heroes and trainers cringe as Achilles most likely again "forgot he's supposed to train and not kill."_

" _Perseus," Achilles started, ignoring the sounds of his comrades, "is something wrong? You fight as if you have not been receiving instruction for the past three months."_

 _Perseus was rolling around the floor holding his stomach. It felt as if a hole was trying to bore itself through him. "Well… not to be pessimistic… but you're a legendary hero… while I'm an inexperienced demigod."_

 _Achilles took off his golden mask, "You are not inexperienced. A blade has been held in your hands since the young age of four. Your skills should be unmatched by most."_

" _Not most, all. Well, I can't say that for a god but no one in the camp could beat me. Not even Luke, that traitor boy."_

 _The son of Thetis frowned, "Apologies, I do not think I understand."_

" _Nevermind, I was just speaking nonsense."_

" _Alright, well that still does not answer my question. Something is up with you."_

" _It's nothing alright." He slowly pulled himself off the floor, "I'm ready to go again when you are."_

" _You are not. Is it something to do with your moth—"_

" _Don't talk about her! I'm perfectly fine…" His body forsook his thoughts as he fell down again, this time holding his head._

 _Achilles watched all of this, and his observant eyes documented everything. His eyes gained an understanding glint as he turned to his fellow trainers and waved them off. They didn't argue or protest, knowing that the Trojan War veteran was wise enough to handle the situation._

" _I'm hungry, how about you all?" Theseus' stomach growled in response. Everyone else voiced their agreement._

" _I am not surprised. Ever since we have been employed you have done nothing but eat like a pig." Hippolyta had a permanent scowl on her face as she strode past them all._

" _Why must that woman dispute everything I say?" Theseus threw his hands up for extra effect, drawing some snickers._

" _Oh quiet you. Imagine living your whole life as a warrior and then being told you were actually known for being some man's wife. Your wife to be specific. You would be furious as well."_

" _Well, of course, I would. I am a man myself, so how can I be another one's wife?."_

 _Achilles took off most of his armor, leaving him in just his chiton. He watched as Perseus attempted to piece himself back together after his mini-migraine. If he was perceiving the situation correctly, he knew exactly what was going on._

 _Hades made sure each and every trainer was informed about Perseus' special case. He knew what it felt like to be abandoned, as his own mother left him as well. Though he was a little hesitant with the demigod's hatred of some of the gods. Achilles decided to take the subtle route. Well, he was going to try._

" _You didn't seem to be into the training today Perseus."_

" _That's because," Percy paused to shake his head one more time, "I was raised to be a hunter. I was given a bow and hunting knives from my family, not a sword. I wasn't brought up to become a swordsman."_

" _You cannot fight this threat in the future alongside the demigods with just a bow and hunting knives."_

" _I think I could do just fine!"_

" _Listen, Perseus. You may be a hunter now, Perseus, but you'll grow into a man eventually. A man won't be using hunting knives, but a sword and shield."_

" _I have never used a shield before, Achilles, and I will never use one."_

" _If you choose not to use a shield, then call upon your uncle to see about you getting another xiphos."_

" _Fine," Perseus stood up, "I will."_

" _It will be harder to use two swords than just one."_

" _I can figure it out," Percy called over his shoulder. Achilles watched him closely and reached a conclusion: Subtlety is for the weak._

 _"No matter your feelings on your past, you must recognize your heritage. Woe is the man who knows not where he comes from."_

 _"I know where I come from."_

 _"You do, but you do not acknowledge it. You must recognize and come to accept your past in order for you to move past and get stronger."_

 _"I am getting stronger."_

 _"Physically, but not Mentally. A great warrior is strong in both aspects. Come to terms with your legacy. If not, Perseus, then we should just stop training altogether, and let the Titans prevail. If you are not willing to put in everything, then you should put in nothing."_

 _Perseus stood still for a moment, contemplating the thought. He waved his arms around frantically in the form of a minor temper tantrum. "Alright! Fine! What do I have to do?"_

 _"Honor your birthright. The entirety of it. If not, surely you will die."_

" _My birthright?"_

" _You acknowledge that you are your mother's son, but we both know there is more. You are the son of the Sea God. Poseidon; Earthshaker, Stormbringer, Father of Horses."_

" _N-now listen here!" Perseus started, while bringing up an accusing finger. He waved it in front of Achilles' face, who knocked it down, before bringing it even closer to the hero's face. "I don't know where you learned that, but whoever said that was lying."_

 _Achilles snorted, "I would listen to the words of an elder god before I listen to you Perseus. Lord Hades told all of us before we started to train you."_

" _It was supposed to be confidential information."_

" _How would Lord Hades expect us to train you if we knew nothing past your name?"_

 _Perseus pouted like a child who couldn't get a cookie, "Fine, you know what? I don't care. It doesn't change anything. I won't ever accept that good-for-nothing―"_

" _I don't think you understand Perseus. No anger will be held towards me if I decide to stop teaching you. Lord Hades actually expects it to happen. Are you catching on? I don't have to accept your good-for-nothing stubborn attitude. I won't train a coward. It's either all in or not at all."_

 _Perseus stood there, trying to adopt his mother's glare. It didn't work, as Achilles stared back with an almost bored glint in his eyes. Finally, he huffed and turned around._

" _You're not as gullible as you look."_

* * *

 _SLAP!_

Percy's entire body flipped from the left to the right as his eyes snapped open. He had no idea what was happening, as he was just trying to sleep after being up for more than forty hours in a row.

"What the Hades―"

 _SLAP!_

The first slap knocked him out of unconsciousness, but the second one succeeded in truly waking him up and sending his mind into overdrive. Adrenaline flooding his system, he kicked his feet out towards his attacker sending it towards the end of his tent. Hurrying to prepare to fight, for what seemed to be the third time this week, Percy struggled to get out of his sleeping bag.

He was still a little disoriented.

Once he eventually got out of his sleeping bag, he willed his knives to appear with their sheaths. However, he was too slow. His attacker recovered and was up again by the time Percy tried to pull them out.

It ended up with him only able to pull out one, while his assailant got the other. It sucked that he only has one knife, but because of his tremendous amount of experience, Percy was a little overconfident when it came to winning this knife fight.

That turned out to be a major mistake. Every swipe and slash was met with either a masterfully-timed dodge or precise parry. Even when he raised the speed of his attacks, it didn't seem to affect his opponent in the slightest.

A small trickle of fear began to fall onto Percy, as he hasn't received a challenge to a knife fight since the Hunters. So weighing his odds, he knew it could either be the Hunters or an unknown threat that is after Olympus. It wasn't good regardless.

The demigod tried an experimental thrust to test the strength of his aggressor. He was mentally satisfied to see that whoever he was fighting wasn't stronger than him. With his newfound knowledge, instead of swinging fast, he swung strong. Just like he expected, he promptly sent the knife to the floor.

Yet, Percy just couldn't get an advantage in this bout for the life of him. He was tackled to the floor, and since he didn't want to kill whoever was trying to harm him, he quickly lost the wrestling match.

It ended up with him on his back and his opponent straddling him with his own hunting knife held to his throat. _Had to lose eventually,_ he thought dryly. Though it didn't stop him from stealthily reaching his own over to the lamp and flicking its switch on.

He was glad that it wasn't an angry hunter, like Zoe or Phoebe, but was also scared of who it really was. There sat Reyna, looking as angry and furious as ever. He suddenly thought of her older sister and the similarities of the situation. _Great sisters think alike then._ "Reyna?!"

Her response was pulling back her knife hand, dropping the weapon, balling her hand up, and punching Percy across his face.

"Owwww! Couldn't you just stick to the slapping?"

She raised her fist again, making Percy backpedal. "Alright, alright! I was just kidding. You know, talking could help us in this situation."

She was quiet, instead just staring deep into eyes. There was no romance involved though, just pure, unadulterated anger. When she spoke she picked up Percy and slammed him into the ground with each word, "Where. Is. My. Sister?"

It was then Percy's full memory started back up because as he remembered being held at sword-point by Hylla, he now remembered the delicate conversation afterward. _Play dumb Percy, you don't know where she is._

"I don't know Reyna. Wouldn't she be with you?"

It seemed like his good lies ran out though, as he was swiftly punched and thrown to the ground. He groaned in pain as he heard her growl out, "You're lying to me."

"No, I'm not… Stop it! Reyna… Oww… Fine. I'll tell you, just stop hitting me."

She didn't stop hitting the disgruntled demigod and jumped off of him, grabbing his knives. "Hmph, big baby. I expected more from you."

"Maybe you would've gotten it," Percy grunted, dusting himself off. He stood up and searched for a clock, "I'm only running off an hour of sleep―Not even! You only let me get thirty-five minutes of sleep!"

"So you've been up all night?"

"Yes, I was up all night. Even so, it would mean that you to let your sleeping partner wake up by himself."

"Yeah, but that also means you know exactly where my sister went and you're going to tell me."

He wanted to argue because he had made a promise, and he always kept his promises. But all he wanted to do is _sleep_ , and if he just spilled the beans, he could have exactly what he wanted. Then again, Hylla said that if Reyna knew of her whereabouts, it could potentially ruin Reyna's developing personality.

 _She is a little aggressive, maybe a personality switch is just what the Doctor ordered._

It was so tempting… Sleep or Truth.

Sleep.

Truth.

 _...Lying to get some sleep. Yeah, there we go._

So the next twenty minutes were spent with Percy spitting out some intricate lie. Whether it made sense or not was up to the Fates to decide. He consciousness slowly faded away as he continued to squeal out nonsense, and really only Reyna's face was the only thing he truly remembered.

The sun was high in the sky, and the Son of Artemis found himself back inside of his very comfortable sleeping bag. _Maybe she does have a heart._ Percy doubted he would have placed himself back in his bag, actually, he was fairly certain he dropped right there on the tent's floor.

He shrugged it off, and after five minutes of freshening up, he stepped out to their campsite. He found Reyna petting two metal dogs, one silver and the other gold, right where he sat last night.

"Glad that you finally got your sleep?" Reyna asked. Now that he was well-rested he easily detected the sarcasm in her voice.

"Yeah well, it totally was better than being woke up via your slaps," he retorted.

"It was efficient," she said in a reprimanding tone, like a teacher speaking to a student. "Besides, you act as if it was a last resort. I did try yelling out your name."

Percy rolled his eyes. If she really did, he somehow knew she only did it once. He decided to turn his focus to the dogs, who were already staring at him with beady red eyes.

"So, new pets?"

"A gift," she replied. "I just found out who my mother is, and she has very high expectations for me."

"Oh really," he questioned. He wondered how Bellona was able to give them to her. "So did she stop by or something or…"

"Of course not, Lupa brought them with her."

"Oh, alright then." He nodded in acceptance and began to walk towards the nearby stream. He was beginning to hum a soft tune, before freezing, "Did you say―"

A bone-chilling growl sounded through the area, and Percy slowly turned to the source of it. While doing so, he noticed the smirk on Reyna's face and the tailing wagging of her metal pets. Yet there was no excitement in his face when he met the newfound friend-or-foe.

The largest wolf he had ever seen stood before him, teeth bared and eyes glowing. Its coat was a beautiful silver, that seemed to sparkle in the sunlight. It didn't stop him from trying to move away though.

"Perseus Jackson," Lupa acknowledged, "Your mother has told me _so_ much about you."

* * *

 **A/N: Hey guys. First things first, I apologize for the wait but I have a logical excuse. So my day ones know about my AP classes. Well, two of the four (my hardest ones) just announced there will be only Review from now on, we just need to complete a few more projects. So I put my entire focus on it and guess what happened? I'm Done boys and girls. Only review from this day out and it's significantly easier than the HW.**

 **The first scene was directly made for Thalia. I realized that she was a little punkish, and not in the way we know her, and she needed to step up her game a little bit. So now we know the power of a Daughter of Zeus. FEAR HER! I'm really sorry Reyna fans, as the last scene was perfect to spark a spark into a little romance between them. No, Reyna isn't stronger than her, but he was in the right mindset, our boy is tired.**

 **I've been working on a few different writing projects for the future. Most of them are solo, but I am working with a group of writers as well. They are exclusive on Wattpad, so I will post the story on my account. They're a duo called Xx_Anaklusmos_xX and they're really good. Check them out on Wattpad. I have a surprise that most likely come out during May and June. That's testing days, and when I can't write. Ya dig?**

 **It's great to be back. All reviews are appreciated. We're close to 400 favorites and 600 follows! We've cracked 61K views and I'm just glad you all love the story. Thanks for sticking with me, and if you're new, enjoy the ride.**

 **Again thanks for even reading. Share to others, like it, add it to your library.**

 **You won't regret it.**


	14. Chapter 14

**Preparation**

It was a rare sight to see snow in Camp Half-Blood, but it certainly was a welcomed one. With a calm dove-grey sky peppered with darker clouds, demigods were littered all across the camp. The snow seemed to glow and sparkle as it was crunched under the feet of content pre-teens and teenagers.

The trees were burnt skeletons with teardrops of snow lying upon their branches. The lava wall froze over, turning into a beautiful glass mural. The air a frozen lace upon the demigods' skin, yet not dampening a single soul's spirit.

The dining pavilion was always full of demigods, the arts and craft classes taking place there instead of their usual outdoor location. Kayaks no longer at the docks, they were trudged up Half-Blood Hill, preparing to slide down the winter hills. The arena was lit up as half-bloods trained, as the Children of Athena took to their books and the Children of Ares took to their weapons.

The only activity that was truly welcomed outdoors was the Archery Range. Girls aging from twelve to fifteen laughed and enjoyed one another's company. Dressed in their traditional silver parkas, the Hunters took to their bows and began shooting them carelessly. Didn't mean they never missed a bullseye.

Two, in particular, was off to the side. One had pure olive colored skin, with a bow aimed at a target, and trying her best to shoot it. The other held a silver tiara and was supposed to be watching the new hunter and help assimilate her into their culture. But as much as she wanted to, Zoe just couldn't bring herself to focus.

First, it was the horrendous dream concerning her mistress being trapped under the sky, where the Titan of Strength should be. That was already conflicting enough, considering the goddess drove away from her brother, and how unstable the Hunt is, and the fact that Zoe hasn't been to Mount Othrys since Heracles' betrayal.

The Hunt has never been at such a low point in millennia, not since the fall of Greece. Time and time again they have faced adversity, yet this figurative mountain was too steep for any Huntress to climb. Even though few took him for granted, no one really valued just how vital Percy was to the Hunt. It was like they didn't realize they were on life support, and Artemis went ahead and pulled the plug.

There wasn't a single night Zoe didn't think about Percy. She constantly wondered whether or not if he was safe. The mortal world wasn't the same as it was back in Ancient Greece, and even as physically adept Percy was, he was still susceptible to being captured and used.

And even though the Hunters were excessively biased against men, to a morbid extreme, the Hunt wasn't naive to how atrocious and cruel the female gender could be. Percy wasn't an ugly boy at all, and the Daughter of Atlas couldn't help but fear he would fall in the hands of the heinous women of the world. Once, a Hunter asked if the reason why they couldn't find him was that he was no longer alive.

Luckily the Hunter had good intentions, otherwise, she would've met the unrelenting force that was Phoebe. Though the idea of Percy being dead didn't stop Artemis and a small portion of the hunt from charging into the Underworld, right into the House of Hades, and demanding to know if Percy was dead. Thankfully he wasn't, and he swore on the Styx to alert the moon goddess if he ever dies.

Though there was something in his dark Onyx eyes, a little twinkle that told Zoe that Hades knew more than he let on. It wasn't enough for her to dwell on, but it was sufficient in taking her attention. And though she didn't realize it, the exact clone of Hades' eyes was staring at her through the new Huntress' eyes, and once again pulled her attention.

"I'm sorry Bianca, did you say something? I'm afraid I didn't hear it."

Bianca stared into Zoe's eyes before turning away and throwing her bow onto her shoulder. "I was asking if I was doing everything correctly, but it's obvious you weren't paying attention."

"I wasn't that I don't care!" Zoe stated, momentarily breaking character, "It's just that my head hasn't been in the right place. Hasn't in a while."

"I'm guessing it's the same for the entire Hunt then. Artemis looked so scary, if I wasn't who I was today, I probably wouldn't have joined."

"If you weren't who you were?"

Bianca looked at her questionably before realizing her mistake, "I meant that I'm not normally scared of things that most would be. I'm pretty sure the other demigods almost peed their pants looking at Milady."

"Yes, but I distinctly remember you screaming your heart out at the sight of the Manticore. Even your younger brother was laughing in awe at how dangerous the situation was."

Bianca began choking on air as Zoe cracked her first smile in months, "That was flat out different! I mean, who was I to believe that my little brother's card game was going to come to life! I'm not scared of, um, normal people things, like the dark or bugs. Demigod people things do not count!"

The Lieutenant held her hands up in mock surrender, her eyes lit with amusement, "Alright, alright. I believe you. Now come, I believe Lauren will want to plan our next win in Capture the Flag."

They walked with matching strides, full of purpose, minds clear of any thoughts, and senses that were calibrated to their surroundings, just like true Hunters should. Though Bianca had a few floating thoughts floating around her head, most of them pertaining to what could take such a grip on Zoe's mind.

"Hey Zoe," the Lieutenant hummed in response, "What's wrong with you anyway?"

Zoe slightly faltered in her steps, and Bianca's newfangled sight caught it before Zoe could fix herself. "I'm sorry?"

"You said your head wasn't in the right place. I told you that I noticed the same thing with the rest of the Hunt. I guess what I'm trying to ask is, what happened to make you act this way? Did a Hunter pass recently?"

"Bianca," Zoe cautioned, "I don't think you need to be burdened with our mistakes. Besides you just joined the Hunt and—"

"Zoe please, how can I adjust to you all and receive you as a family if you can't even let me in on what's the problem?"

Of all things she wanted to do as of right now, telling Bianca about Percy was at the bottom of the demititan's list. But her new sister was right, how inviting would the hunters appear if they left her out, just because it wasn't Bianca's issue.

"Alright, well… I have a brother." Zoe started slowly, attempting to give an altered version of the story.

"You, leader of the Hunt, had a brother?"

"Our patron goddess Artemis is our leader, Bianca."

"Yeah, yeah, you get what I mean. But you had a brother, weren't you born thousands of years ago."

"Before the gods themselves. Yet when I had joined Artemis and her group, my brother was still… underaged."

"So what, he was still a baby?" Bianca questioned.

"Yes, well—" Zoe pulled her hand up to her chin to think while checking her surrounding for eavesdroppers. _I can't be too descriptive, the Hunt will not approve of her knowing everything._ "Not exactly, he was young. Just enough to have not yet been corrupted."

"So basically, younger than my brother Nico?"

The elder huntress thought about the younger boy. Energetic upon first meeting, yet now he has seemed to have lost his happiness. Zoe saw him once in the dining pavilion and tore her eyes away as quickly as she could. The haunted look on Nico's face could only make her think of how Percy must currently be looking.

"Yes, just about right. Now I couldn't leave him alone, as we were both pretty attached to each other. The other Hunters at first didn't like it, but—"

"Wait. Timeout!" Bianca made her hands into a 'T' shape, "You said you both were attached. You two aren't nothing like Zeus and Hera are you?"

This time Zoe was choking on air. Her face reddening quickly and her hands began to flail around. To a passerby, she would've looked hilarious like she was drowning in air. With an unnaturally high-pitched voice, she said, "No! Whatever makes you think that?"

Bianca shrugged her shoulders but watched with small suspicion, "Thalia told me that the Greeks were weird. I didn't believe her at first, but then she told me about her father."

Zoe took deep breaths to calm herself, "Alright then. Yes, Greek customs are a little unusual in today's modern society…"

"As unusual as a brother sleeping with his sister. And marrying her. And having kids with her."

"...but my brother and I were nothing like that. Anyway, like I was saying, most of the Hunt eventually warmed up to him. He was with us through… all those years. It wasn't until a couple years ago when, how do I put it? It all went to Hades."

"Really?" They were now seated on the side of the cabin, Bianca leaning in in curiosity. "What happened?"

"Zeus never agreed to him being with the Hunt. I don't know how much of the myths you knew, but Zeus always had a problem with men being apart of our Hunt. But it wasn't until late that he attacked my brother. You see, Zeus' bolt was stolen, and took the opportunity to blame it on my brother. I don't know what was said to milady, but she comes down from Olympus demanding him."

"Who? Your brother?"

Zoe nodded her head, "She gave him a chance to speak up for himself, but he had no answer. He didn't steal the bolt, which milady had to know, yet he was still sent to pack his things."

"Why?"

"Maybe to provide us with a false sense of security. As if he was just going to be imprisoned there. We all knew that Zeus was going to kill him."

"So that's it. Milady gave him up after all you all have been through."

"That's correct. After all…," Zoe faltered for a moment, the true reality of the situation making home again. "After all we've been through. Though, he never did go up to Olympus."

"Really?! Did he fight back? Was he kicked out?"

Dark brown eyes sparkled with amusement, "You are so presumptuous, don't you ever get tired of asking questions?"

Bianca shrugged in response, "A few days ago I thought I was a slow kid who had to forever take of her brother for the foreseeable future. Now I learn I'm half-god. Sue me."

Zoe gave a small grin before sobering up. _This part was always the hardest._ "Well, my brother was always clever. We waited for him to exit the tent, but soon we investigate and realize he ran out the back. We have been trying to track him for over three years now. After all this time, his disappearance has still been affecting us."

The newest Hunter of Artemis gave a sympathetic look and wrapped an arm around Zoe. "I'm sorry about that Zoe, but… can I know his name?"

Zoe looked thoughtful for a moment. She didn't see any harm in it but decided against it. If she couldn't see any harm now, more than likely Zoe would see it later. So as kindly as she could, she said, "For now, let's just call him my brother."

"Aww, okay. Hey Zoe, one last question."

"Which is?"

"If you all finally found this brother of yours, and he decided that he didn't want to return to the Hunt. Would you leave the Hunt to be with him?"

The question was surprisingly deeper than Zoe was prepared for. _I joined the Hunt because I was hurt by a male. Would I leave the Hunt for another?_

Granted, the reason would be entirely different. Zoe loved Perseus with all her heart, and sometimes she just wished he was the little innocent toddler that was just trying to sneak in a dessert.

"Oh I'm just kidding Zoe," Bianca interrupted, her tone dripping with tease, "I know you don't love him or anything. Well, romantically at least."

She stood up and brushed some snow off her parka. Bianca held her hand out for Zoe and pulled her up as well. As she reached the door, Zoe knew her answer.

"You know what Bianca," Zoe called out, making the young demigod turn around. "I think I would. My brother means a lot to me. If it came down to it, I would choose to leave the Hunt if it meant to live with him."

Bianca kinda just froze, not expecting that answer at all. Her mind immediately thought of her younger brother. "You're serious?"

"Yes, I am. And no, not because I love him romantically." The daughter of Atlas gave a soft smile before making her way past Bianca and entering Cabin 8.

Bianca didn't even notice, her gaze looking over to the dining pavilion, where she knew her brother was. "Maybe, I didn't make the right decision, huh Nico?"

"Bianca! You alright?"

She turned and saw the Daughter of Ares along with a bunch of other huntresses. "Yeah, I'm fine. Just everything seems so surreal, y'know?"

"It's like that at first, but don't think too much about it. Come on, we gotta show these campers why we hold the win streak."

Bianca followed Phoebe inside, laughing alongside the Hunt. She didn't know what to expect, but hopefully, everything will work itself out in the end.

* * *

Perseus groaned as he fell to the ground. If only to keep his dignity, he attempted to sit back up. But he sighed in relief when he found a blade at his throat.

"Yield?"

"Yes, I yield," he panted, glad that his last training session was over. "Was there a reason you were trying so hard, Atalanta? This was supposed to be a light spar." He just wanted to lay down in his bed and die.

"Keep your head up, Perseus. You lasted several minutes longer than our last few fights. You should be proud."

Perseus snorted at that and looked up at the beautiful blonde. "Yeah, okay. I lasted an extra two minutes against a woman I've been training with for three years now. Whoop-de-doo."

Out of all the warriors training him, she scared him the most. He didn't know if it was because of the fear and respect of women instilled in him by the Hunt, or if it was because of Atalanta's famous glare.

Yet, as scary as the myths made her, she was also as kind as can be. She helps him with his studies as he still needs an education. It was fun, considering that whatever Perseus learns Atalanta is learning it right with him. But, because of her not being an actual demigod, she didn't suffer ADHD or Dyslexia as he did.

She crouched down and held out her hand with a teasing smile, "Well, maybe if you weren't so short, you can prove a better challenge. Until then, stay well acquainted with the floor."

He grabbed her hand and slowly got back on his feet. "You can't mock me and say words like 'acquainted'. Big words are a no-no. Everyone knows that."

"Do they?" She questioned, sheathing her sword and fixing her animal pelt. She has a small collection of them and wears them everywhere. "I would think that if someone were to taunt me with words I don't know, I would feel more disturbed."

"I guess that makes sense. If you don't know what he or she says, you do feel a little stupid."

"Exactly. It offsets your opponent. You see, we use swords and daggers to attack the opponent's body, but we must use words to hurt the opponent's mind."

"Who cares about hurting someone's mind. Just be a better fighter and you'll win every time," Perseus remarked. They had been walking to the sleeping grounds. Atalanta and Hippolyta have their own quarters, as per request from Perseus.

"Really, is that how you've been beating us lately? All of us have been taking advantage of your weak mind and have been mopping the floor with you."

"Oh so _now_ you want to use modern slang."

Atalanta grinned in response. "Listen, I'm only trying to say that the power of the mind is nothing trivial. Entering a battle with a tough and fixed mind allows you to survive longer than having a weak one."

Perseus studied his feet. "And you said you've been taking advantage of my mind."

"It's not exactly hard, Perseus. Though it's not because you are young, but because of your controversy with your father and mother. Even today, ever since you returned from Maine, your mind has been elsewhere. It leaves you vulnerable."

"Well then I guess I need to find another solution because I'm not forgiving them anytime soon," he said stubbornly.

"You are entitled to your choice, they did wrong you," Atalanta said diplomatically. "It is already strange enough to know you have the blood of the maiden goddess though she never birthed you."

Perseus shrugged and yawned a little. "Long story short, she breastfed me. For whatever magical reason, that changed the ichor in my blood from Poseidon to Artemis. I like to not think about it, hurts my head too much. Speaking of head, can I leave now? I'm really tired."

She faked a gasp and held a hand on her chest, "You would not walk me the rest of the way to my quarters?"

"Come on, we both know you're going to make a stop for some fruit or whatever. Just let me sleep, I'm exhausted."

"I'm only joking. Of course, you can go. Are you staying down here, or are you staying in your villa in Camp Jupiter?"

"Camp Jupiter. Hades was a little miffed that I couldn't get his children as smoothly as I should've been able to. I want to leave him alone for awhile."

Atalanta nodded in understanding, "Alright then. Farewell, Perseus."

"See ya, Atalanta," he shouted as he hopped into a shadow. He shadow-traveled straight into New Rome, weapons and everything. Terminus, God of Boundaries, hated that about him. Perseus made his way to his villa, gifted to him by the Romans.

Honestly, Perseus loved Camp Jupiter and all it had to offer. It was a little more strict, but at the same time, there was a little more freedom. There were actual older demigods here, in contrast to having mostly teens at the Greek counterpart. There was a college, apartments, even places of work. It was like an actual city for demigods, and it definitely appealed to the Son of Artemis.

They also had a huge amount of respect for Pluto, and once Lupa introduced him, they built a villa for him in two days. From scratch.

Speaking of Lupa, she immediately joined the list of some of the scariest people he has ever met. Upon finding him and Reyna in the woods, she proceeded to attack Perseus. Easily the hardest fight he's ever experienced. It was like sparring with his mother if she was a four-legged animal.

Apparently, after hours of needless chasing (really, it was ten minutes), the goddess stopped her assault. He "fit the bill" and Lupa said that he moves, fights, and smells like his mother, Artemis. Or so he thought.

Lupa wasn't asked to find him by Artemis, but rather by Diana, the Roman Goddess of the Moon. It was weird, in a sense, that he had two mothers. Two mothers that are the same person, that are virgins, and that his father was the God of the Seas. The Wolf Goddess said that Neptune, the Roman form of Poseidon, wasn't his father too. This only served to confuse him further.

Thankfully, the Fates seem to keep blessing him. Lupa wasn't going to turn him in, but not for the common reason he was used to hearing. Perseus was sure she didn't know about Artemis' betrayal, but Diana ended Lupa's services some time ago. He didn't know exactly why, but he also didn't want to see his mother so he was fine with it.

That led to Reyna and him traveling to Camp Jupiter, watching the feisty Daughter of Bellona fight her way to joining the First Cohort, and him being acknowledged and honored as Pluto's Ambassador. Currently, she was on her way to becoming a Centurion and he was on his way to find his temporary home and sleep.

Perseus wasted no time as he entered his villa, slipping off his shoes and making a beeline for his bedroom. Sadly, he couldn't even get under the covers before an Iris-Message formed above his head.

"Percy!"

The outburst caused him to slam his toes into one of the legs of his bed frame. He spits out a slew of curses, both Greek and Latin, as he began searching around for the offender. The Children of Mercury here are just as, if not worse, than their Greek counterparts.

"Over here, Dumbo!"

Dumbo looked up and saw Thalia in an Iris Message… on the ceiling. _What a weird place to put a message. I guess I am laying down though._ He glared at the Daughter of Zeus, "My ears are not that big."

"Whatever, but I do need a better name for you. Something that flows off the tongue. It can't be too complicated but it can't be too simple. Nicknames in Greek are stupid and it'll only make sense at camp, so that's a double no. Give me a second, I'll figure out something…"

"Thalia!" Percy shouted, garnering her attention. "Is there a reason why you're calling. I'm a little tired."

She raised an eyebrow, "Really? It's 10:02 over here, so doesn't that mean it's like six or seven o'clock where you're at?"

"Yeah, so?"

"So, isn't that a little early for you to go to sleep. At camp, you're usually a night owl."

"I'm tired today, alright. Remember, I had to shadow-travel all the way up to Maine from Los Angeles. Had to save Annabeth from the Manticore when they fell off the cliff. Ring a bell?"

"Yeah, yeah, you're a great help."

"Better than you."

Thalia scoffed at that, "Your head is full of Kelp. I mean you helped better than the Hunt did."

Percy winced at that. He wasn't prepared emotionally to help Thalia with the Manticore. It was supposed to be simple, he intercepts Thalia with the children of Hades, take them back to the Underworld, and get his arse kicked in training. But when the Manticore showed up, along with Artemis' hunt, he might have ran and hidden in the shadows.

 _Permission to kill, my lady?_

He's never seen Zoe's eyes so cold in his entire life like she's never smiled a single day of her life. And his mother, oh his mother. Percy spent so much time running that he didn't think about seeing her again. She went back to her twelve years old self and her voice had an edge to it. And edge that froze him in place.

 _The hunting of all wild beasts is within my sphere of influence. And you, foul creature, are a wild beast._

He was lost in memories that it took a moment to register that Thalia was calling him. "What?"

"I said that we have another quest. A real one. Tomorrow. Annabeth and I are going, and I thought you instead of Grover. You should be an actual member than that creeping stalker look you've been pulling the last couple of years."

"This stalker saved your butt a bunch of times."

"I'd rather a team member. If you wanna help us?"

Percy pursed his lips as he thought about it. He didn't see why not, except for one selfish reason, "You do realize that this means I'm getting less sleep now, right?"

Thalia ignored him and said, "So you're coming?"

"...Fine, I'll come along and help."

She grinned victoriously, "Thanks Kelp Head! Good Night!"

He couldn't respond as Thalia cut through the message. He rubbed his hands over his face in minor frustration. Deciding thinking required too much of him at the moment, he got under the covers and buried his head in the pillow. Only one last coherent thought processed through his head before Morpheus came.

… _Kelp Head?_

* * *

Thalia, Annabeth, and Bianca waited outside Camp Half-Blood near the main road. They shivered as the cold winter air graced them with its presence. "Why can't we wait inside the van?" Annabeth asked.

"We have to wait for Zoe," Thalia responded through chattering teeth.

"Outside. In. The. Cold!"

Thalia almost winced, Annabeth was always crabby when uncomfortable. Technically, Zoe wasn't the reason on why she was waiting, but the others would notice something was up if she kept looking out the window. "It's respectful to wait for her. Besides it's not that cold."

"And when have you cared about being respectful? Just unlock the van, wake it up, and turn on the heat!"

"It's not my fault Zoe is taking so long!" Thalia exclaimed. "If you can't take it, then trudge up the hill again and go back to your cabin!"

Thalia smirked as she was met with silence. She knew Annabeth's pride wouldn't let her back down from a quest because of weather. Thalia turned over to look at Bianca, who was busy drawing pictures in the snow with her foot.

"Hey, Bianca." She looked up. "You alright? You've been quiet ever since we came out here."

Bianca reassured them with a small smile, "I'm fine but I'm with Annabeth. Zoe is taking her sweet time."

Thalia scoffed. "And she's supposed to be the Lieutenant of the Hunt. This is the reason why I didn't join. They make themselves seem so perfect, and then have every excuse when they're not. They're like the gods without the power."

She watched as Bianca look away for a moment before returning to her snow pictures. "I don't know, they haven't been doing so good lately."

This peaked Annabeth's interest. "Really, why? Because Artemis is trapped under the sky? Her being gone has affected you all that much?"

The thought brought a smile to Thalia's face. "The moment Artemis is gone, they can't even walk around without walking into one another."

"We did just fine in beating you in Capture the Flag." Bianca pointed out in an innocent tone.

Thalia felt anger burn inside her. "And how much did you help in the Hunter's win, considering you just learned you were a demigod."

Bianca looked up with a challenging look that made the two demigods shiver again. They could no doubt see the change in the newest hunter because the Bianca they saved from Westover Hall wouldn't look at them like that. Annabeth looked over at Thalia, trying to tell her to apologize.

"If you must know," Bianca started, pausing to look them both in the eyes, "The Hunt has recently lost someone. That's why they haven't been feeling so hot."

An awkward silence filled the air then, and Thalia couldn't shake the feeling of guilt making its way to her heart. She made to apologize but bit her tongue. Instead, Annabeth spoke up, asking, "Who did they lose?"

"I can't tell you that," Bianca said, which slightly annoyed the Daughter of Athena. But before she could be interrogated she asked her own question. "So, who did you guys bring?"

"Huh? What do you mean?" Annabeth asked.

"Counting Zoe, we have four members," Bianca explained. "Zoe told me that you would handle getting a fifth member, but I don't see anyone else coming."

Annabeth knew she was right and cursed herself for not noticing it first. "Well, Thalia said she would pick the last member so…," she trailed off as if she's found the last piece of the puzzle. "That's why we're waiting outside. You're making sure whoever you asked is still coming."

Thalia nodded. "Yeah, last night I asked Percy to see if he'll come with us. I'm making sure the idiot shows up." After she said that, she suddenly jerked her head towards the hill. She looked through the trees, sure that saw or heard something.

Annabeth, not noticing her movement, brought Thalia's attention back to the demigods, "Oh. He actually agreed to come with us this time?"

"Yeah," Thalia revealed. "He was a little tired but he said he'll help."

"Wait, 'he'? You picked a boy to come with us? I don't think Zoe is gonna be happy about that." Bianca looked back up the hill, in search of her Lieutenant, but found nothing.

Thalia rolled her eyes, "Percy is just as skilled as any hunter or anybody at this camp. And he'll be just as helpful, as long as Annabeth doesn't get stuck staring at him again."

Annabeth went as red as Rudolph's nose at that. "I do not stare at him!"

A mischievous grin grew on Thalia's face, "You do and don't try to deny it. You, just like every girl at camp, have moments where you sit around and stare at him. Even though all he does is walk around with a hood on."

Like a toddler, Annabeth stomped her feet. She was about to insult her older sister figure before Bianca audibly sighed. "Great, just what we need. Some pretty boy that's gonna get us killed."

"We'll be fine. You'll see. If anything he'll make sure he's killed first before we die."

Bianca made sure her face showed her disbelief but inside can't help but feel her curiosity peaked. The shadows behind them began to get thicker as Annabeth reared back to Thalia, ready to give her a piece of her mind.

"I'm here. I'm not too late, am I?"

Annabeth spun around to see who dared to interrupt her a second time but flushed a darker shade of red at the sight of Percy Jackson. She quickly hid behind Thalia who was smirking. "Nope, you made it just in time Kelp Head."

"Yeah, well," he pulled out a backpack out of seemingly nowhere. "You're gonna have to explain where that name came from." He quickly looked around and took notice of Bianca and her Hunter's parka. "And you are?"

"Bianca. Bianca di Angelo." She assesses the male in front of her. Though she didn't hold the hatred for males like her new sisters, she always felt a need to stay away from them. But with this one in front of her, she felt quite the opposite.

Percy gave a small smile of respect, "Hi Bianca, I'm Percy Jackson." He turned back to Thalia, with a raised eyebrow. "Why did you ask me to come when you have three members already?"

"The quest called for five this time," Thalia said, prompting Percy to lean back on the tree he popped out from. "You're better than Grover, that's for sure."

"So we're just waiting for the last member then." Percy mused, closing his eyes. "So can you tell me what this quest is because you forgot to tell me. And is there any reason why you're waiting in the snow when you have a van right there."

Thalia smirked and was ready to respond when two arms and a knife wrapped around Percy's neck. His eyes snapped opened and his hands flashed up to his neck. Unfortunately, the arms only tightened.

"What you need to figure out," Zoe whispered in his ear, making his eyes widen in fear, "Is that is there any reason why I shouldn't kill you right now."

* * *

 **A/N: Maybe because you've been trying to find him for three years, but hey, what do I know?**

 **I'm back, and it freaking feels amazing. This chapter was hard to write until I decided to skip the Westover scene. I bet you all thought Percy and Artemis were gonna reunite huh? Nah, not with my magic, they're not. Don't worry, good things come to those who wait.**

 **For those who have been leaving heartwarming reviews, know that I love you and you're awesome. To those pricks, who for some reason all have the same problem with me, I gotta tell you something.**

 **How, in any way, is Percy overpowered? He has literally got his arse kicked in almost every fight. He only beat the weaker pirates of Blackbeard's crew, and barely at that. Poseidon had to give him the strength to kill Blackbeard because Percy was getting whooped on. He really only gained the ability to shadow travel from Hades, and that was that. He is not overpowered in any way, shape, or form. Stop being controlling pricks and get on with your life.**

 **Thanks for the support. We've got 80,000 views, and I honestly can't believe it. Be sure to review. I'm back on the frequent updates but I want to give you all a heads-up. The chapters aren't going to be overly long anymore. It's not realistic. I'm always going to aim for 4,000 but it might be 200 less than that or more.**

 **I'm adding two new stories to this profile. I said the last chapter that I've been working with two writers, and they're the reason why I haven't updated last month. So I'm going to put it up. My focus is always on this story. Don't forget that.**

 **Again thanks for even reading. Share to others, like it, add it to your library.**

 **You won't regret it.**


	15. Chapter 15

**Reunion**

Of all the things to happen to Percy, this was the last thing he could have expected. He goes ahead and tries to do the right thing. As always, the one thing that could mess up his day, that just started mind you, happened.

"H-Hey, Zo—" he tried, but she just pushed the blade closer to his throat. He could feel his blood dripping down his neck.

"Shut up." Her hand trembled as she tightened her grip. "Three years, Perseus. _Three years._ All that time we've—I've—been searching and where were you? Staying here with these...these _campers,_ while your family is worried sick!"

"Th-that's not fair! She was going to kill me, Zoe. You were there and you saw it! I had to—"

"I said, SHUT UP!" She kicked him into the snow while pulling out her other knife. Angry tears slid down her face, and Percy was at a lost on what to do. He sat still as she approached him like a predator.

Thalia, who stood silent with Annabeth and Bianca, had other ideas. Aegis expanded from her wrist as she pulled her spear out from her mace can. "Hey, Zoe! I don't know what your problem is, but I'm only gonna say this once. Leave. Him. Alone."

Percy muttered a curse, he knew that wasn't the right thing to say. The way Zoe froze and turned her head slowly reminded him of horror movie trailer he's seen once. Hey eyes wide and crazy, he knew he had to get involved before someone got hurt.

Annabeth, however, readied her own self with her dagger. Bianca moved over to the side, fear in her eyes at seeing the girl she was starting to look up to look so crazy. Right before Zoe lunged, Percy got up and lurched forward.

The moment he got a hand on Zoe, she launched him into the snow with a fierce elbow. Groaning in the snow, he heard the sound of metal clashing with metal. He turned around to see Thalia and her spear meeting Zoe's hunting knives blow for blow. As well as the Daughter of Zeus was faring, Percy knew it was only a matter of time before Zoe's millennia of experience overpowered Thalia.

As he stood up, willing his own knives into existence, he noticed footprints forming in the snow. _Annabeth,_ Percy thought. He ran towards her, pouring on his speed and managed to tackle her invisible form just before she reached his older sister. Her hat fell off, revealing her surprised face.

"Let me handle it," he asserted, answering her unasked question.

Not giving her time to respond, he jumped off of her and made his way to the dueling teenagers and made eye contact with Bianca, who was watching with trepidation. He nodded his head over to Thalia, and even though she hesitated, she nodded herself and began making her way over to the daughter of Zeus.

Percy paused for a second to get a feel of the rhythm. Just like he thought, Thalia's slowly began losing ground and her swings began to slow down. After a vicious overhead swing from Zoe that pushed Thalia back, Percy jumped in and swung his own knives. With immaculate precision, he knocked out both weapons from his sister.

The Lieutenant of the Hunt found her herself sprawled in the snow for a change of pace, though it only served to add more fuel to her fire. In a blink of an eye, she was back on her feet, but Percy was ready. Two silver knives were placed at the back and front of Zoe's throat, effectively trapping her.

"Zoe!" Percy pleaded, "Calm down. We can talk about this."

She responded with a ferocious glare that almost, _almost,_ made him pull his knives away and shadow travel as far away as possible. Instead, he steeled his nerves and looked back with his own glare. _She's never acted like this before,_ he reflected, gripping his knives tighter.

"Zoe, please. This isn't like you. I am sorry, really, I am. But staying out here and fighting is useless when we should actually start on this quest," he tried.

She just glared at him, bringing her hands up to cross over her chest. "Fine," she muttered. Slowly, Percy pulled away from his knives and sheathed them. She turned away to get her belongings, not wanting to look at him. Percy watched, troubled, before following her lead, returning to the other three questmates.

They all watched him advance, and he couldn't help but wince. Bianca had a large cut in her parka and Thalia's face was littered with little nicks and snips. Annabeth's face was flushed, the freezing snow forcing blood rush to her head, making her look like Annabeth, the Red-faced Reindeer. "Listen, I know you all have questions. As friendly as I've been, we all know that I've also kept to myself. Just now, let's get on the road, and I'll answer whatever you have to ask."

Bianca, knowing Percy's words weren't directed towards her, looked over towards her two companions. Annabeth was fine with the agreements, knowing she gets to ask questions. Thalia, however, just stared at him, though without the malice that Zoe had.

Percy met her look with pleading eyes. Seeing his look, one that she's honestly never seen before, she smirked at him and fished the keys out of her pocket. Wordlessly, she turned around and went for the van driver's seat. Annabeth gave him a small smile and nod before pulling the passenger's seat door open and entering the van herself.

After receiving a small nod from Bianca, he turned back to the woods to retrieve his own bag. Zoe ended up bringing it with her and shoving it into his chest without holding back any force. "Get in," she demanded.

Blue eyes met with dark brown, "Come on, Zoe. You don't have to be so mean."

She pointed towards the open door to the back seat, "Get in the van, Perseus. Now."

He sighed but followed directions. He tried to sit next to Bianca, who was in the row right behind the driver's seat, but a firm hand pushed him towards the farther back. Percy slid in towards the window, with Zoe right next to him.

Ten minutes later, and the five questers found themselves on the road. They were in a semi-comfortable silence before Thalia's ADHD got the best of her. "So are we gonna ask questions or no? Annabeth?"

* * *

Bianca played with the crumbs of her donut. Her mother used to buy these for her and Nico when she was younger. She internally sighed, she hadn't even spoken to him since Apollo dropped them off at the camp. Nico was always so close to her, annoying but endearing, and his distance has been on her mind more than everything.

"I mean, come on this is unbelievable! Him! A child of her!"

"I know Annabeth. This is like your thousandth time telling us."

 _Well, almost everything,_ Bianca mused. The main topic that served the three girls attention was largely Zoe and Perseus. Once entering the cafe the famed lieutenant dragged him over to the side and forced him into a booth, giving the rest of them a vicious look that clearly told them to stay away.

If this was a few hours before, Thalia would've walked over and deliberately sat down with them, but they had… a significant conversation that filled them in greatly. More or less, everyone understood the separation, wanting time to process everything themselves. Though Bianca wished that Annabeth could've done a little more processing, quietly.

"Well, what about you Bianca? You're a hunter, how are you taking this?"

She was going to ignore the daughter of Athena but found Thalia's eyes watching her too. "If I'm being honest, I'm really not that surprised."

As she said that gray eyes lit up in anticipation, Bianca wished she used a better choice of words. "Wait, what do you mean? Did the Hunt tell you when you initially joined? Or did they wait until you were picked for the quest?"

"No, no," Bianca answered. "No one told me anything, but I could feel it when I joined. The confidence they showed at Westover kinda disappeared like they were missing something. I never expected anything like Artemis losing her kid though."

Thalia chuckled softly, "Yeah, me neither. A part of me wants to laugh at them, just to get back of them. The raise a male for the first time ever, and what happens? They drive him away. But, on the other hand, I know what it's like losing someone I care about."

Bianca raised an eyebrow at that but saw that both didn't want to answer. She was fine with that, it gave her a chance to think about everything. The hunters were so somber and it was all because they lost Percy. Again, it made her think of Nico and their situation. Though she wasn't the sad one that was Nico. If she stayed with the Hunt long enough, would he soon hater her?

It wasn't long before Percy walked over, announcing it was time to go. A small look glance towards the exit showed that Zoe was already leaving.

"So, how'd it go? Everything alright now?" Thalia asked, Bianca and Annabeth unashamedly listening in.

Percy let out a sigh, "I don't really know. She didn't really talk much, just asked what I've been doing so I told her."

"You look like this is all bothering you," Bianca pointed out. It confused her, honestly, the way he was reacting.

"I...I didn't really think I was gonna see her or any of the Hunt any time soon. But now that she's here, the way she's been acting is a little unsettling. Since I was born I've never seen her this angry. Like ever."

"Well, Thalia said you first showed up when we searched for her father's bolt. Right?" Percy nodded, wondering where Annabeth was taking this. "Well, you helped us find it. You could've cleared your name, and returned to the Hunt. Zoe's been alive for a long time so she's smart, that's probably why she's angry."

Percy thought about it, but Annabeth had other plans. "When were you planning to go back anyway?"

Thalia snorted. "Maybe he didn't want to go back. Probably just live his own life until he dies from old age or monsters or something."

"Can you even die? Or did your mother bless you like us?" Bianca inquired.

"Hey, wait," Percy interrupted. "I'm glad you all of your thoughts about my life and such, but I think I can handle it."

"Okay, fine, but I still got one more question. Are you fine with rescuing your mother, even though you haven't spoken with her in so long."

Percy's face scrunched up, "What do you mean, 'rescuing'? Why would my mom need to be rescued?"

"Wait a minute. Do you not know what this quest is about?" At Percy's blank look Bianca sighed, "We are tasked with saving the goddess Artemis from holding the weight of the world."

They watched as the son of Artemis tensed, his hands beginning to tremble. "But that's not possible… Atlas! Atlas is supposed to be doing that! That's his curse! Wh-why would my mother being stuck there when Atlas should be at Othrys holding the freaking weight!"

He was beginning to cause a scene as the other customers began looking at him like he was crazy. Even the bored teenage cashier started sending them weird looks. Thalia grabbed his shoulder in an attempt to calm him down. "Percy, after everything that happened at Maine, Artemis left on a solo hunt for some old beast she almost forgot about. It wasn't until after Capture the Flag yesterday that we learned she was caught by Kronos' forces and forced to hold the weight."

"Do you even know the Prophecy?" Annabeth questioned. Again the girls were met with a blank look. "Here I'll tell you. _Five shall go west to the goddess in chains, One shall be lost in the land without rain, The bane of Olympus shows the trail, Campers and Hunters combined prevail, The Titan's curse must one withstand, And one shall perish by a parent's hand._ "

Percy wouldn't move, standing so still they didn't even know if he was still breathing. "You think you're gonna be alright Perce?"

He didn't have a choice as Zoe beeped the horn rather aggressively. Percy flinched back into the present before looking at everyone and said, "Come on, let's not make her angry at you all when it really just me."

He left without another word as the girls went to throw their trash away. "She wants to be all mad but doesn't even tell him what we're freaking doing," Thalia muttered.

"But weren't you the one who invited him in the first place?" Annabeth observed.

"I mean yeah, but still. She can be angry, doesn't mean she can be a prick though."

Annabeth nodded her opinion, snatching a muffin from the display before following the daughter of Zeus. Bianca did the same, grabbing about four donuts before leaving, getting in the van, and sitting in the back of the van. She planned to get some sleep, something she couldn't do on the first trip. After eating, the low sound of the motor slowly lured her into Morpheus' realm.

* * *

Percy silently made his way to the Museum of Natural History. When Zoe had parked their van near the Washington Monument, claiming this was where they needed to head next, Percy thought differently. Or at least, his gut did. So when he claimed to have left something in their vehicle, imagine the surprise when a black sedan pulled up and a very familiar figure popped up.

Military buzz cut, dark shades, and a black overcoat, which shouldn't be anything special given they are in Washington. But the son of Artemis wasn't one to be fooled, because when he caught a glimpse of his face, Percy recognized him immediately. The Manticore, though now he goes as Dr. Thorn. Percy watched as the monster followed his group into the mall, and Percy began his hunt.

He stayed a few ways back from Thorn as Annabeth was leading the girls around eventually stopping in front of a big building that said **NATIONAL AIR AND SPACE MUSEUM.** Thalia checked the door. It was open, but there weren't many people going in. Most likely because of the weather being too cold, and school appeared to be out of session.

Dr. Thorn, however, decided this was where he'll stop following them, because Percy watched as he paused in front of the building, take out a phone, and leave to go enter another building.

This one said, **Museum of Natural History** , and had another sign stating the building was supposed to be closed for a private event.

Percy followed Dr. Thorn inside, blending in with the chamber full of mastodons and dinosaur

Skeletons. His enhanced hearing picked up voices ahead, behind a set of closed doors. The guards standing by opened up the door for Thorn. Percy had to sprint to make it before they shut the doors behind him… well, he tried to.

"What in Hades name do you think you are doing!"

Percy quickly spun around and shushed the person, and stifled a groan at the sight of Zoe. He missed her, truly, but the attitude and hostile behaviors had put a damper on their little "family reunion".

"I'm trying to figure out what they're doing in that room, but you had to stop me."

Zoe rolled her eyes, "If you thought I wasn't going to keep an eye on you, you thought wrong. Now let's go, spying on random mortals helps no one. Annabeth believes—"

"No, you don't get it!" Percy whispered, "That was the Manticore, the same one from Maine."

Whatever Zoe was gonna say was lost to the wind as she paused and narrowed her eyes. Anyone else would think she would scream obscenities at him, but Percy knew that look, she was listening in just as she's done.

Her eyes didn't blink for at least thirty seconds before she lost her facial expression, "I hear them."

"Good. Now you get what I'm trying to do—"

"Just when were you going to tell us?"

"Wh-what?" Percy stuttered, his hand reaching to scratch the back of his head. "I have everything handled, I would've come back and told you all everything that I found."

Zoe just stared at him emotionlessly, waiting for the actual answer. After another ten seconds, she rolled her eyes and said, "So how are we getting in?"

Percy paused in his rant to gauge his surroundings. There was only one way he could fathom getting in. "Give me your hand but stay close even after we jump."

She raised an eyebrow but listened anyway. Her eyes widened as she felt her being sucked into a shadow and deposited them both on an upper balcony looking over the occupants in the room. Zoe was going to let out a sound of shock but fortunately, Percy placed his hands over her mouth to muffle her. She looked over to see him with a finger over his mouth, with his eyes darting over to Thorn and company.

Percy looked over the room and held in a growl. Standing around was a bunch of mortal guards, with Scythian dracaenae next to them, which were basically reptilian women with double-snake trunks for legs.

They all surrounded Dr. Thorn and his friend, a friend that Percy hadn't seen in an extensive amount of time. Luke Castellan, also known as the man who attempted to murder him in cold blood. It was the first time Percy ever had a male double-cross him, having him finally recognize just how evil men could be. Of course, he couldn't allow hatred of men to be centered in his life, he was a male himself after all.

"You are much too fragile to risk. Let me finish them off."

"No." A deep, ancient voice thundered. A chill froze its way down Percy's spine, as he got a look at the man who was speaking. The man was tall and muscular, with light brown skin and slicked-back dark hair. He wore an expensive brown silk suit with a brutal face, huge shoulders, and hands that could snap a flagpole in half. His eyes were like stone but reminded Percy of someone. It was like looking at a living statue. Percy was slightly amazed this man could even move.

 _This must be the General. Who did Hades say he was again?_ Percy listened in as the new powerful man began to threaten the Manticore. Obliviously missing the trembling of the woman next to him.

"You have already failed me, Thorn," he said.

"But, General—"

"No excuses!"

Percy jumped as Zoe visibly flinched, though before he could question her actions the General spoke again.

"I should throw you into the pits of Tartarus for your incompetence," the General said. "I send you to capture a child of the three elder gods, and you bring me nothing but a scrawny group of nymphs."

"But you promised me revenge.'" Thorn protested. "A command of my own!"

"I am Lord Kronos's senior commander," the General said. "And I will choose lieutenants who get me results! It was only thanks to Luke that we salvaged our plan at all. Now get out of my sight, Thorn, until I find some other menial task for you."

Thorn's face turned purple with rage, but he didn't retaliate, further solidifying how dangerous the General really is. Thorn just bowed awkwardly before shuffling out of the room.

"Now, my boy." The General turned to Luke. "The first thing we must do is isolate the half-blood Thalia. The monster we seek will then come to her."

"The Hunters will be difficult to dispose of," Luke said. "Zoe Nightshade—"

"Do not speak her name!"

Like a flip was switched, Zoe woke up from her reverie. Shaken from her stupor, her body went into overdrive, senses begin to heightened, adrenaline pumping through her veins. "Perseus it's time to go."

"Do you have the teeth?" The General pointed to a guard, who popped up with the teeth in a ceramic pot.

"Wait, why?" Percy hissed, "What do the teeth do? I wanna know!"

"I will tell you, first return us to the group. This is our best course of action, trust me."

"What type of teeth are they? Just hurry and tell me."

Zoe let out a frustrated sound and grabbed him by his collar. She dragged him from the shadows and pulled him to the edge of the balcony. "Can you not feel it. The ancient power that's flowing through the room? Those teeth are not of dinosaurs, but dragons Perseus. This is why we must leave now."

Percy's eyes widened in fear as he quickly grabbed her hand and hauled her into the shadows. They ended up outside of the Mall but before Percy could figure out where to go, Zoe was already dragging him along.

They entered the Air and Space Museum and barreled through the museum. Percy himself had no idea where the others were, but Zoe was a woman on a mission. Who was he to deny her sense of direction? The main part of the museum was one huge room with rockets and airplanes hanging from the ceiling.

He probably should've paid more attention to where he was going, because it wasn't long until he ran into Annabeth—literally. Luckily, Zoe let his hand go and by the time Annabeth was going to crash into a nearby space capsule, he was able to catch her.

"Who the heck…" the words died in her mouth at the sight of Percy.

"Sorry, Annabeth. Looks like I have a habit of just running you over, don't I?" Percy frowned as her face got all red, _It's not even cold in here_. "You alright, Annabeth?"

"She's fine," Thalia interrupted, wrapping her arm around the girl and bringing her closer to her side. "But what about you two? We figured you both would want to talk again but you both look like you've seen a ghost." Bianca nodded her agreement, eyebrow arch included.

"The traitor boy," Zoe explained. "He's here."

The confusion was brushed off of Thalia's face, replaced with pure anger. "Where?"

"In the Natural History Museum, but listen we have to go now I'll explain later. Right now we have to go before the General sends something at us and slows us down." Percy advised, eager to get as far away as possible.

However, one cannot just leave without quenching Annabeth's curiosity. "What's coming? And did you say the General, as in—"

"Look, mommy!" A little kid shrieked with delight. "It's a kitty!"

Something enormous bounded up the ramp. It was the size of a pick-up truck, with silver claws and golden glittering fur. The Nemean Lion. It roared louder than any megaphone, it's fangs gleaming like stainless steel.

"Separate on my mark," Zoe ordered. "We need to keep it distracted."

"For how long?" Bianca asked. She wanted to run and hide, but this was her first monster and first chance to prove she belonged with the Hunt. _No turning back now,_ she thought.

"Until I think of a way to kill it. Go!"

Percy rolled to the left, summoning his swords. Annabeth put on her cap and disappeared from view, and Bianca and Zoe began to climb the space capsule to gain a vantage point over the beast. Of course, Thalia just had to ignore everything Zoe said and stepped right into the lion's path.

She held up Aegis and for a moment the lion recoiled. Then it started to growl and crouch, its leg muscle tensing. Before it could pounce though, a black haired blur crashed into its side and sent it tumbling down to the main part of the museum, which, thanks to the mortals, was utter pandemonium.

"Perseus!" Zoe shouted abandoning her position to jump down and aid her brother.

"Zoe! Bianca! Aim for the mouth!" Annabeth shouted. Zoe couldn't see where but as the flailing mortals were "mysteriously" pushed towards the exit, one could guess the daughter of Athena was making the area a mortal free zone.

The Lieutenant landed down with Percy and the beast and saw that he was surprisingly holding his own. Though the Nemean Lion was undoubtedly stronger than him, Percy proved to be the faster one. The huntresses poured on the arrows but the lion's maw was sewn shut as it tried to lay a hit on Percy.

"Perseus! I don't have a shot, you need to get it to open its mouth more!" Zoe yelled.

Suddenly the room was flooded with the smell of ozone as all combatants stopped to look up. An electrified Thalia leaped from the upper balcony, holding Aegis with both hands and slammed it down on the lion.

Everyone was sent flying back from the pure force of the blast. Percy was sent flying into a nearby gift shop. Zoe and Bianca into the big globe that was placed in the room, and Athena knows where Annabeth crashed into.

"ROOOOAR!" Unfortunately, the intended victim of the attack was unharmed and up and running.

"Bring it, furball." Thalia, undeterred, pulled out her sphere and met the lion as it charged. The electric shot from coming into contact made the lion howl in pain and was met with a well-placed arrow in the mouth by one Bianca di Angelo.

"Go!" Bianca yelled as she notched another arrow. The adrenaline from the battle giving her a wild look in her eyes. "Check on Percy, we can handle this."

Zoe hesitated a moment before nodding and sprinting towards the gift shop. Inside, the sales clerk was hiding behind her cash register while Percy was up and destroying the place.

"Perseus! What are you doing!" Zoe scolded as he knocked down a table with glow-in-the-dark planets on it.

"Assessing my options. We got to get that thing to open it's mouth somehow. I just don't know what… maybe… maybe this will do it." He pulled out a small packet that glittered silver. He ran over to the sales lady and presented the items. "Hey, do these taste any good?"

She peeked over the cover of her cash register before squeaking, "If you gave me the option to eat peas or space food, I'm taking peas every time."

Percy beamed, "Good enough for me! Zoe grab as many as you can and throw it in its mouth!"

Seeing where he was getting at, she followed suit and grabbed an armful of the silver packages and went back out to help. It wasn't looking good, as the lion seemed to have learned to keep its mouth shut to avoid Bianca's arrows.

"Hey Percy," Thalia called, "whatever you're going to do—"

The lion roared and swatted her like a cat toy, sending her flying into the side of a Titan rocket. Her head hit the metal and she slid to the floor.

Percy growled and charged, his footsteps garnering the attention of the beast. It turned towards him and snarled. Once he got close enough, he leaped in the air and threw one of the packages just as the Nemean Lion was about to eat him.

The lion's eyes got wide and it gagged like a cat with a hairball.

"You know I don't blame you, they don't look good at all. Plus the lady said they taste worst than peas, so they must be plain nasty." Percy acknowledged.

"By the gods, Perseus!" Zoe yelled as she began throwing the food she had in her hand. "Keep shooting the space food into its mouth! Bianca, get ready!"

"Sorry!" Percy responded as he continued to pelt the beast with different flavors of ice cream, freeze-dried spaghetti, and a strawberry parfait.

The lion choked it down and looked at Percy and Zoe with pure hate. It opened its mouth wide to let out another roar.

"Now!" Percy yelled.

Immediately, arrows pierced the lion's maw—two, four, six. The lion thrashed wildly, turned, and fell backward. And then it was still.

Annabeth took off her cap and appeared next to Thalia, helping her up. Zoe and Bianca walked up to Percy as the lion began to melt until nothing was left but its fur coat.

"Well, what are you doing. Take it, it's yours."

Percy whipped his head up, "Why would it just be mine? We all took our part in killing it together."

She shook her head, almost smiling as if remembering old times. "I think your ice-cream did that. Perseus, Take the fur."

A small fire appeared out of thin air behind them, and Percy gave a soft chuckle. _Always the subtle one, aren't you Hestia?_ The fire burned brighter at the thought and Percy picked up the pelt. He walked over to the fire and tossed in the pelt.

"Artemis," he murmured. For a moment, the fire changed colors, into a fiery silver. He turned around to look at the others, mainly Zoe, and for a moment he swore and saw a bit of pride in her eyes.

Annabeth was the first to break the silence, "We have to get out of here. The security guards won't be fooled by the Mist for long."

Percy nodded with a small sigh. No doubt this quest was already proving to be the hardest he's ever partaken in, but he would see it to the very end.

"Yeah, let's go. One monster was more than enough for the night."

* * *

 **A/N: Hey guys and gals... been a while.**

 **You have no idea how excited I am to be writing again. The reason why I couldn't write earlier was that initially, I was doing it on my school laptop. But at the start of the school year, they got rid of the use of personal accounts. That basically ended all my means of writing for the time being. Yesterday, however, the laptop that I recently bought finally came in. I wasted no time into finishing my chapter and getting it to you all. So I'm sorry, not because I wasn't posting, but because I didn't let you all know why I wasn't posting.**

 **You all weren't any slouches though, as I see a large number of followers and favorites. Thank you all, you have no idea how much it means to me. I'm glad to be writing for you all again. Unfortunately, I'm not going to respond to reviews this time, just because there's so many and from so long ago. I will do it for my next chapters though, so don't forget to review. I love you all, and interacting with you all is the best part.**

 **As for the other stories, The Unseen Immortal will be heading out to the trash bin. We have no clue on what we are doing with that story so trashing it is our safest bet for now. We all have personal projects as well so we don't want to be bogged down.**

 **I want to know what you thought of the chapter though, I know I left you all at a pretty mean cliffhanger. I almost did again this chapter as well. Thanks for the support though, really. It means the world.**

 **Again thanks for even reading. Share to others, like it, add it to your library.**

 **You won't regret it.**


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